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?

Immunotherapy for senescent cell removal – lessons from human embryo development and other species

For a long time I had this simplistic view that senescent cells accumulate with age, contributing to many age-related degenerative diseases through the sterile inflammation and regeneration impairment they cause. I also thought their removal with the help of drugs is the only  possible solution to get rid of them. Destroying senescent cells shouldn’t be…… Continue reading Immunotherapy for senescent cell removal – lessons from human embryo development and other species

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

Career choice, early retirement and longevity

I could have picked any specialty years ago after I passed the residency exam, but I chose geriatrics to the shock of everyone. I wanted to have the specialty with the wisest patients and even if I’m not practicing it anymore for reasons I’ll detail below, I don’t regret anything. It was impossible for elderly…… Continue reading Career choice, early retirement and longevity