In five years there will be tablets for comfortable aging. This forecast was shared with the journal Nautilus by Eric Verdin, a biologist and head of the Bac's Aging Research Institute. Like many of his colleagues, Verdin regards aging as a disease that can soon be treated. The average life expectancy will increase every two years by 2 years, but immortality will not be achieved by mankind.

In recent years, anti-aging technologies have become very popular - scientists are experimenting on mice trying to prolong their lives, and start-ups from the Silicon Valley promise to release a "pill from old age". Verdin believes that a significant role in this boom played the opening of the 1990s. It was then that it became clear that life expectancy can indeed be increased - at least in bacteria and some animals.

Now the scientific community goes from experiments to clinical trials, and the appearance of a pill to mitigate the "symptoms" of aging is getting closer to reality.

At the same time, as Verdin assures, a certain age threshold has already been established. Although recently, scientists have challenged the existence of a "ceiling" of life expectancy at 115 years, for more than 122 years no one has managed to survive. That's why Verdin does not believe companies that promise to achieve immortality.

In general, life expectancy over the last century has grown significantly. At the beginning of the XIX century, people lived on average 47 years. Today is 77 years old. The biologist hopes that each decade the duration will increase by two years.

But long years of life should not be overshadowed by illnesses. Verdin uses the term "healthy life span" (healthspan) - the years during which a person feels normal. Old age is so far inevitably associated with chronic diseases - Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, osteoarthritis, heart diseases Chronological age of a person is not equal to biological. Verdin cites as an example two cars Ford of 1940 of release - one constantly repaired and put in order, and the second operated without days off. Because of this, cars of the same age look and work quite differently.

Verdin hopes that in five years will be an effective drug that will affect the quality of life in old age and lengthen the biological age. While scientists can recommend only physical activity and the right diet.

The biologist also expects that in the future the approach to the treatment of senile diseases will change.

Patients will not go to different doctors and receive prescriptions for them to reduce blood pressure or blood cholesterol. Adopt older people will be aging specialists who will pick up complex treatment for old age.

A similar view of the problem is shared by the leading researcher of the SENS Research Foundation Aubrey de Gray. In his view, aging is an engineering problem that can be adjusted. For this purpose, the SENS organization plans separately to combat each of the biological factors that provoke aging.

Source: High Tech.