Anti-Aging Medications Just Around the Corner?

I just stumbled upon this article while browsing the internet. Very interesting..



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This is exciting news I have to say; to know that we are on the verge of extending the average human life. It makes me wonder what could have been accomplished had these discoveries been found when some of the great minds like Einstein were still in existence.. Would we be further along technologically, scientifically and philosophically had these people had longer to contemplate their findings? It is certain we are at the coming of a new age, things are changing at a rapid pace and now people are going to be living even longer.. Could this be a part of the "awakening" that is in the works that so many speak of.

Of course I have my doubts as with many discoveries regarding health and cures. Cancer and AIDS cures have undoubtedly been discovered IMO and there have been major cover ups and downplays concerning things of this nature.

So what does this mean for the advancement for humans? What are the ramifications of longer human life? Will the drug corporations try to cover this up in order to gain more profit? What of the health and life insurance corporations out there? Will this affect over-population? Just a few questions I found myself asking..

What are your takes on this?


EDIT: Changed the quotation type.

[edit on 4-6-2008 by ZiggyMojo]

Just what the world needs, longer lifespans. Combine that with a drastic rise in population, a lack of food, oil and other precious resources and we have a real recipe for Utopia.

I have the same fears. Of course, I'm not going to deny that I would enjoy having a few extra years on my life. Then again, I'm still young and I haven't had to battle with the hardships of old age.

I feel like this has a lot of positives, but at the same time a lot of negatives. The largest problem I see is the effect this will have on over-population. If people are stressing this problem now, imagine when people are living 50 years longer and the birth rates continue to rise. I wonder what these drugs will mean for fertility and vital organ function.. Will we be functioning as though we are younger at an older age? Or will we all be bound to wheelchairs and walking sticks for the last 30 years of our lives? I'm interested to see what all this will entail once these drugs are released.. If they ever are.

People in my family tend to live into their 90's. I think that is long enough. I just hope I still have my mind at that age since Alzheimers also runs in my family. I couldn't imagine wanting to tack on another 20 years. I don't think that being 90 sounds all that fun as it is.l

reply to post by ZiggyMojo


Dictators and tyrants and politicians live longer.

Billionaires amass more wealth.

Criminals live longer.

Junkies live longer.

As Zefram Cochrane once said immortality consists largely of boredom.

The Food and Drug Administration doesn't consider aging to be a disease per se. This is the crux of their argument to prevent anti-aging clinics from administering drugs for off-label uses growth hormone and testosterone come to mind. These are hormonal in nature and many could say that our hormones are part of an elaborate system of checks and balances, that these medications could skew these balances causing a number of health concerns. Unfortunately, their reasoning doesn't balance well with actual data as testosterone and several of its analogues were once OTC just like the liquor that you buy for escapism; exponentially more people die from the consumption of alcohol in contrast to these hormones. Resveratrol on the other hand acts as a powerful antioxidant and it works to alleviate cell damage from free radicals that flood our systems in response to a wide variety of stimuli. The only downside to resveratrol is I have heard that it has a relatively poor bioavailibility. I personally think the whole anti-aging thing is merely to make one's golden years more golden.