Which Came First: the Age-Proof Chicken or the Age-Proof Egg?

There are over 50,000 documented cases of people living well beyond 100 years in good health.

The longest lived human on record, stopped smoking at age 100, stopped riding her bike at 110 years, lived independently until age 118, and died at age 122.

So, how best can the aging process be understood? Must scientists study long-lived people in order to determine their commonalities, i.e. the reasons why people live long?

On the other hand, must scientists study specific late-life diseases in order to create remedies that slow the aging process by eradicating late-life diseases?

If you answered, "Both" then you are correct. Scientists call the dual approach to aging as "top down" (study long-lived people) and "bottom up" (identify ways to prevent or delay disease).

Top-Down uses deductive reasoning (studying the big picture), and Bottom-Up uses inductive reasoning (study specific disease and find remedies).

Each approach has proponents and detractors. But it's not a question of which is valid, qualitative or quantitative research methods. It's a matter of how one wishes to think about a problem.

For example, when working on a jig-saw puzzle, do you focus first on the puzzle pieces that will create a "frame of reference" (the corners and sides of the puzzle's picture). Or, do you focus first on connecting groups of pieces that appear to be related to specific objectives that are components of the puzzle's picture?

Here's a chronology of events Brandon Keim (PROTO magazine) describes as leading up to the Top-Down, Bottom-Up crossroad in aging theory today.

STEPS TOWARD THE CROSSROAD
- Reduced caloric diet, exercise and drugs are found to slow the aging process.
- Further study finds anti-aging benefits of diet, exercise, drugs are not universal.
- Science focuses on molecular aging, free radical oxidation and DNA damage.
- Discover late-life disease may be the cause, not the result of aging process.
- Discover genes that produce life-enhancing enzymes that fight disease.
- Isolate enzymes fostering healthy heart, strong bones, cataract-free eyes, and prevention of diabetes.

Here's the proverbial Good News. Whether or not the mystery of human aging is unlocked from either the top-down, bottom-up, or both, Boomers will be overjoyed by the results of living longer, healthier, more productive lives. In the future, expect more and more Boomers to evolve into ZOOMERS as they adopt proven lifestyle and genetic strategies for better living.

Here's the Bad News. What is the purpose of pro-longevity in the first place? Isn't it more important to focus on improving the quality of life, especially for those who fall victim to "short-gevity" (International Longevity Center, 2009). Ethically, is the first priority to help all members of society achieve society's average life-expectancy, say 80 years? Is such an achievement a right or a privilege?
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Source: "Is Aging a Disease?" by Brandon Keim, PROTO, Spring 2010, Mass Gen Hospital.
Source: "Zoomer Boomer: stop acting your age, start living your life" by David Demko, 2009, AgeVenture Press.