Getting Older - The Age Effect and Metabolism

//Wisdom of Age//

Every second, every minute and every hour of the day sees my body undergo constant changes that are inevitable. This is the unescapable process of aging. With age comes great changes that introduce slowing metabolism, a flood of age related diseases and conditions. As time goes on, the effects of aging are felt ever more. Getting old isn’t just adding a little maturity to one’s aesthetic appeal. Hormones, cells and a great deal of the aging processes eventually shift certain lifestyle changes essential to wellbeing on us. Scientists have long been searching for key to aging. While it’s not exactly a treasure hunt for the fountain of youth, discovering the secrets to aging can enormously change the state of health science and medicine.

//The T Cell Effect//

Researchers are focused on yet another mouse experiment that has singled out the responsible cells for accelerating the aging process. To summarise, T cell activity in mice resulted in increased aging effects and researchers were able to discern that it was indeed the T cells (responsible for immunity) that held direct correlation. Numerous inflammation induced tests were carried out, showing that the body’s immune system has an effect on getting older.

//Aging Comes Faster//

Once scientists know the key to driving aging, it would be of relative ease to seek methods to manipulate aging rate and perhaps even reverse the process in the future. It also explains why some people age faster than others, linking this to defective role of mitochondrial, cells that are responsible for metabolism in the body. Our immune system warps as age kicks in. This could open up doors to a number of prospective treatments to bolster effectiveness in the elderly. Testing hypothetical forms of treatment are a logical step in a long road ahead but as with every move in science, it’s a step-by-step path of progress.

//Age is a Number//

While I don’t class myself as old, it is an inevitable stage of life. Science has given us various clues as to how we age and the things we can do to help slow down its process. Whether it’s a dietary change or getting those extra vitamins through UV rays, these are only contributing factors. Perhaps the next stage of aging investigation will explore methods in strategically manipulating the immune system for desired aging effects. Various drugs and techniques will emerge in the future and I truly wonder if I might see a breakthrough in age enhancement during my lifetime. Only time will tell, with the help of scientific research of course.

Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3928693/
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/05/defective-immune-cells-could-make-us-old