Supercentenarians are a rare breed. They thrived where others periled. They overcame disasters. And yet they largely kept a smile on their face. They learnt to accept the good and the bad that life throws at them. I spent this year and the last year researching major patterns on how other species age. But at…… Continue reading The Older You Are, The Healthier You’ve Been
Category: Comparative gerontology
Rings of Growth
This week I did the unthinkable: I got married. A very short and spontaneous trip to the seaside followed. So here I was on the shore of the Black Sea on a casual Friday with plenty of research material for the book on comparative gerontology. Yes, I always have good intentions when going on holiday.…… Continue reading Rings of Growth
Which part of the human body wears out first?
A minority of people age like wine. Most of us won’t (although I do hope that you, the readers of my blog will count among the chosen few!). Yet despite the different aging rates, people mostly age the same. Here is the basic order in which organs fail (according to my limited clinical experience…… Continue reading Which part of the human body wears out first?
Cortisol – the aging hormone
Bringing offspring into the world is much more stressful for salmons compared to humans, even if the two species secrete the same stress hormone, cortisol. Unlike humans, salmon fish age soon after spawning. They undergo a massive hypertrophy of the interrenal gland. Because of this, they secrete massive amounts of corticosteroids. They usually die…… Continue reading Cortisol – the aging hormone