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This Research Proves why you’re going to Max Out at 120
Here’s What You Can’t Escape Post
My Longevity Experiment
September 14, 2024
What is Maximum Human Lifespan
Introduction
Recent research published in Nature Communications sheds new light on the concept of biological aging, or senescence. This term refers to the rate at which our bodies deteriorate, a process that may not correspond with our chronological age, which is defined as "the number of times the earth has gone around the sun," a measure that, as researchers suggest, is not an accurate reflection of an individual's health.
Two Types of Senescence
Senescence manifests in two primary forms:
Cellular Senescence: This occurs when individual cells cease dividing and enter a state of permanent growth arrest. These senescent cells no longer contribute to tissue repair and can accumulate within the body, potentially leading to age-related diseases. Triggers for cellular senescence include DNA damage, oxidative stress, and the shortening of telomeres, which are the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes.
Organismal Senescence: This refers to the aging of the entire organism, encompassing the cumulative effects of cellular senescence. It is characterized by a decline in immune function, reduced tissue regenerative capacity, and increased vulnerability to conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders.
A New Measurment Technique
Scientists have introduced a novel method for assessing fluctuations in the numbers of different blood cell types, known as the Dynamic Organism State Indicator (DOSI). This new technique provides insights into the body's overall resilience, offering a promising way to measure biological aging.
Measuring Resilience Over Time
The DOSI score tracks the body's resilience as it gradually declines with age. This reduction in resilience is one reason it takes longer for older individuals to recover from disease and injury. The researchers—Timothy V. Pyrkov, Konstantin Avchaciov, Andrei E. Tarkhov, Leonid I. Menshikov, Andrei V. Gudkov, and Peter O. Fedichev—suggest that, assuming one can avoid general disease and disaster, the DOSI score reliably indicates when an individual's resilience would fully collapse, leading to death.
The research team states in their paper, "Extrapolation of this trend suggested that DOSI recovery time and variance would simultaneously diverge at a critical point of 120-150 years of age corresponding to a complete loss of resilience."
Blood Cell Count and Health Indicators
To support their findings, the researchers analyzed blood cell count data from more than half a million individuals across the UK, USA, and Russia, alongside step-count data from 4,532 participants to measure physical fitness decline over time.
Blood cell counts can serve as an indicator of various underlying health issues. To validate blood cell counts as a general measure of health and recovery, the team cross-referenced these findings with step-count data, ensuring that the results accurately reflected overall fitness.
Potential for Extending Human Lifespan
One key finding from the study was a noticeable shift in aging trajectories at age 35 and again at age 65, aligning with societal markers such as retirement from elite sports and full-time work. The researchers noted that these inflection points correspond with significant changes in physical resilience.
Looking ahead, the researchers believe that this study could pave the way for treatments that target specific diseases and illnesses without compromising biological resistance. With further advancements, there may even be potential to extend the current maximum human lifespan, which stands at 122 years.
The 150-Year Lifespan: Is It Achievable?
The longest-living person on record is Jeanne Calment, who reached 122 years and 164 days. Born in 1875 in Arles, France, Calment remains the oldest verified person in history. Her longevity and sharp memory have made her a focal point in gerontology and the study of aging. Despite occasional skepticism regarding her age, her record remains widely accepted.
The findings of this study align with previous research suggesting a maximum human lifespan of approximately 120-140 years. However, the researchers caution that without significant and radical changes to the human body at a fundamental level, extending lifespan beyond these limits would be exceptionally challenging.
The study concludes with a critical statement: "The criticality resulting in the end of life is an intrinsic biological property of an organism that is independent of stress factors and signifies a fundamental or absolute limit of human lifespan."
Conclusion
This groundbreaking study offers new insights into biological aging and the limits of human lifespan. By using the DOSI method to measure resilience and track the aging process, researchers have furthered our understanding of why human longevity may be capped between 120 and 150 years. While the possibility of extending human life remains uncertain, this research sets the stage for future innovations in targeting age-related diseases and perhaps even pushing the boundaries of human existence.
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