Why is the Greenland shark the longest living vertebrate?

When I wrote ‘The aging gap between species’, the longest living vertebrate was the bowhead whale at 211 years old. The latter still holds the record for the longest living mammal, but these days the vertebrate record is held by the Greenland shark at 392 years. Determining age in bony fish is done by counting…… Continue reading Why is the Greenland shark the longest living vertebrate?

Longevity and the Compound Effect

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is longevity attained overnight. A few years ago I read about the compound effect: it’s this idea that baby steps done regularly lead to extraordinary results on the long term. Exponential growth is very hard for humans to wrap their minds around. Linear growth is so much…… Continue reading Longevity and the Compound Effect

Are long-lived people who age gracefully less prone to addiction?

If psychiatry is the Cinderella of medicine, addiction medicine is the Cinderella of psychiatry. These were the words of a local psychiatrist mentioned during a course I attended several years ago that just stuck in my mind because indeed, almost nobody wants to deal with these problems and these patients. I am a non-smoker and…… Continue reading Are long-lived people who age gracefully less prone to addiction?

How to avoid the adverse reactions of senolytics through better design

There is no coincidence that cancer is more frequent as we age. And it is also no coincidence that many anti-aging therapies destined for rejuvenation could allow unleashed growth to take place and cause cancer. Hence my interest in those species which despite an abundant capability to regenerate their damaged tissues, show no increased rate…… Continue reading How to avoid the adverse reactions of senolytics through better design