Being young forever may be one of the goals of most people. However, nothing could be further from the truth. We all age, the difference (and the key) is doing it in a healthy way. In other words, being long-lived but maintaining full physical and cognitive capabilities for a good quality of life. At this point you may be wondering why some people age better than others. A recent study has attempted to answer this great mystery. This research has compared biomarkers—biological indicators—measured at similar ages between very long-lived people and others who were not so long-lived. The results showed the existence of blood biomarkers that may be intrinsically related to longevity. In this way, they allow us to better understand the biological processes that underlie aging and offer hypothetical solutions to intervene in them and age better.
In the aforementioned study, “twelve blood biomarkers related to inflammation and metabolic, liver and kidney function” among others were measured. The objective was to try to provide conclusive data on those that decisively influence longevity.
One of the biomarkers measured lies in blood cholesterol levels. Thus it was concluded that “higher levels of total cholesterol and iron and lower levels of glucose, creatinine, uric acid, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase and total iron binding capacity were associated with reach 100 years” they say. However, in the same study they report that there are other analyzes that ensure that centenarians have lower levels of total cholesterol, but given that the biomarkers change with age, it is difficult to draw a clear conclusion.
Another biomarker that was also measured and that is related to inflammation was uric acid, popularly known for its relationship with gout. The results conclude that, in general, those who reached the age of one hundred tended to have lower levels of glucose, creatinine and uric acid starting at age sixty.
All in all, science and the analysis of biomarkers can transform our understanding of what it means to age healthily and, at the same time, offer hope for a longer society with quality of life. With continued research and an evidence-based approach, we can move toward a society where living longer also means living better.
