THE ART, SCIENCE, AND STRATEGY OF LONGEVITY

Smart lifestyles can hold off the Grim Reaper for a while, and new drugs and technologies may do more, according to this hopeful guide to anti-aging medicine.

The Howards ground their treatise in a tour of the mechanisms that cause the body to wear out, including the inexorable damage to cells caused by reactive oxygen species pumped out by the mitochondria; the buildup of senescent cells that no longer divide and secrete toxins; accumulating genetic mutations; the steady shortening of the telomeres that bind DNA strands together; and a chronic inflammation that ravages just about everything. They move on to therapies that slow the downward spiral, starting with healthy living; they exhort readers to exercise, sleep well, meditate to relieve stress, maintain a sex life, and eat a good diet. The authors suggest a raft of supplements that are heavy on antioxidants and strongly recommend hormone replacement therapy for older people to improve strength and vitality. Finally, they explore the experimental and conjectural frontiers of aging medicine, including the drugs rapamycin and metformin; activation of the enzyme telomerase; transcranial electrical stimulation to boost brain functions; replacing worn-out organs with new ones made with 3D printers; CRISPR gene editing to repair DNA damage; and nanobots that clean out brain plaques that cause Alzheimer’s. The Howards distill a wealth of scientific research into a concise, comprehensive, clearly organized text that judiciously appraises the promises and pitfalls of anti-aging therapies. (They warn, for example, against taking concentrated supplements of the green tea ingredient EGCG, which can cause liver problems.) They convey all of this in lucid, elegant prose that ripples with evocative metaphors. (“In our younger years, abundant growth hormone maintains robust tissues—muscles repair swiftly, skin stays firm, and bones remain strong. But with aging, its production diminishes like a slowly fading musical note, and the body’s regenerative vigor wanes.”) Readers will find much useful advice here on taking their health into their own hands.

An informative self-helper, full of stimulating insights and actionable tips on growing old gracefully and slowly.