Aging is a set of interrelated and complex processes that lead to phenotypical changes, that is how a person looks at an old age and the diseases associated with aging, such as cardiovascular diseases or diabetes. But what is behind those changes?
There are two group of factors.
The first group is factors that can shorten one's life compared to how long a person could have lived given their particular genetics. Those factors are the state of mind, lifestyle, and environmental factors. They can negatively affect not only the lifespan allocated to us by our genes, but also the health span -- whether we will live in health or in disease.
The second group of factors, and also aging factors from a different angle, are molecular mechanisms that are behind why no one has yet lived past the age of 122.
The first group may aggravate the second group.
There is no unanimous opinion among scientists in the anti-aging field as to what the main reasons are, nonetheless there is a point of view accepted by the majority that 9 to 12 reasons are behind the aging.
Those reasons are often divided into primary, antagonistic, and integrative.
Primary Theories of Aging --
Antagonistic Theories of Aging --
Integrative Theories of Aging --
The above listed mechanisms are interrelated.
An example of a cross-talk between two of the strongest at this point mechanisms involved in aging and age-related pathologies -
There are two group of factors.
The first group is factors that can shorten one's life compared to how long a person could have lived given their particular genetics. Those factors are the state of mind, lifestyle, and environmental factors. They can negatively affect not only the lifespan allocated to us by our genes, but also the health span -- whether we will live in health or in disease.
The second group of factors, and also aging factors from a different angle, are molecular mechanisms that are behind why no one has yet lived past the age of 122.
The first group may aggravate the second group.
There is no unanimous opinion among scientists in the anti-aging field as to what the main reasons are, nonetheless there is a point of view accepted by the majority that 9 to 12 reasons are behind the aging.
Those reasons are often divided into primary, antagonistic, and integrative.
Primary Theories of Aging --
- The Telomere Shortening Theory of Aging
- Accumulated Genetic Damage
- Alternation of the epigenetic patterns that change gene expression from youthful to that of an old organism
- Loss of proteostasis
Antagonistic Theories of Aging --
- The Mitochondrial Decline and Malfunction Theory
- Cellular senescence and accumulation of senescent cells
- Deregulated nutrient sensing
- Antagonistic pleiotropy
Integrative Theories of Aging --
- Exhaustion of the stem cells
- Altered intercellular communication, including neuronal, neuroendocrine
- Decline and malfunction of the autophagy and UPS levels and mechanisms
- The state of chronic inflammation
- Degradation of the extracellular matrix
- Accumulation of undegradable by-products of metabolism
The above listed mechanisms are interrelated.
An example of a cross-talk between two of the strongest at this point mechanisms involved in aging and age-related pathologies -
- Telomere length and telomerase activity are also regulated by epigenetic changes that shape telomere structure and influence their maintenance, and
- Telomeres too can regulate epigenetic factors affecting gene expression of nearby genes (Huda Adwan-Shekhidem, 2018).