Do People Really Die of Old Age?

A recent National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) report delivered some good news about the death rate in America, which dropped to a record low of 746.2 deaths per 100,000 people. For the first time in 45 years, homicide did not make the list of the top 15 causes of death, which included heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, diabetes, and accidents.

But what about people who reached an advanced age and died peacefully (we hope) in their beds? Where is "old age" on the list of death causes?

Officially, no one dies of old age in the United States. That's according to the NCHS, which is the government agency responsible for collecting statistical information on how we die. In the NCHS’s instructions for filling out death certificates, "old age" is discouraged for use as a cause of death: "Terms such as senescence [the process of growing old], infirmity, old age, and advanced age have little value for public health or medical research." Instead, physicians are told to list the immediate cause of death and any conditions that led up to it (for example, acute kidney failure as a consequence of diabetes).

Another related phrase, death from "natural causes," means that the person died of either an internal disease process or normal wear and tear on the body. But that's only used in certain circumstances, when a doctor has reason to suspect that a death is due to something else — for example, an accident, suicide, or homicide. In those instances, the case is turned over to a medical examiner or coroner (depending on the jurisdiction) to make that determination.

Some believe that old age as a cause of death should return as an option for death certificates. A 2010 The Washington Post article points out that it's often difficult to determine which chronic condition was most important in leading to a patient's death when they're likely to have several. According to the CDC, about 88 percent of adults over age 65 have one chronic condition, and 50 percent have at least two, with the most common being hypertension, heart disease, arthritis, eye disorders, and diabetes.

But what age is "old," anyway? We're living longer than ever, with the average U.S. life expectancy now a reported 78.7 years. And perhaps as a result, what's considered "old" is defined differently by different people. A recent survey conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion on behalf of Home Instead Senior Care found that "Millennials" (18- to 30-year-olds) considered old age to start at 62, Gen X'ers at 71, Baby Boomers at 77, and the "Greatest Generation" (World War II-era folks) at 81.

"If someone is over 100, I wouldn't quibble with old age as a cause of death," Robert N. Anderson, NCHS chief of mortality statistics, told the Post in 2010. "But I certainly wouldn't like to see 'old age' as a cause of death in someone who is 75. Even 85 would be pushing it."

However, there is one animal that really never dies of old age — the turtle. Unlike other species, the turtle's internal organs don't deteriorate over time, which means they can live almost indefinitely until felled by disease or an accident. Here are a few examples: A tortoise (one species of turtle) named Harriet, thought to have been discovered by Charles Darwin in the Galapagos Islands, lived to be 176 years old. And according to the Guinness Book of World Records, a 188-year-old tortoise named Tui Malila, who had been owned by the royal family of Tonga since the 1770s, died at age 188 in 1965.

An elderly male bodybuilding.

The situation in the men's bodybuilding age a little, unlike thereof in women's bodybuilding. Interest, but rather a curiosity to people over the age of 40 years engaged in bodybuilding competitions have always taken a strange character. People have always been interested in the question of why men aged choose this type of sport, and not, say golf or bowling?

Gradually, with age there are processes to reduce physical strength and reduce muscle mass. Quite simply, the older a man is, the less in size and in the number of its muscle fibers, and therefore less power. This is facilitated by lowering testosterone levels with age. However, heavy exercise and weight lifting in particular are able to slow down the destruction of muscle tissue. However, the fact that men are fighting for their health and appearance even with the approach of old age does not change the attitude of the society towards older athletes.

But the most interesting thing is that most negative comments by athletes aged emanate directly from their peers. While people try grow young again both hands on the old passion, they strongly support and cheer on the people who dared such a bold move. To explain it very simply, the reason is banal envy of their peers simply do not like a strong and still looking young athletes of the same age. 

Gray Hair And Senescence

Gray hair is considered a sign of senescence. However, it is false statement. Gray hair is a sign of hair aging and rarely is a sign of whole body aging. Hair canities with age is a normal thing.

First singular gray hairs appear at 35 – 40 years old. After 40 years the number of gray hair increases and in males hair canities on temples is followed with canities of hair on beard and mustache. At the later stage eyebrows hair turns gray.

Declinations from specified hair canities order occur rarely, instead age-related declinations occur quite often. There are many eldery people with no gray har at all.

Hair canities depends on the hair color. As a rule, brunets turn gray earlier than blond people. Causes of hair canities are not known yet. Discoloring or pigment loss along with appearing or severe increase of air bubbles in hair is possible cause.

Japanese scientist Kukkawa claims that hair color depends on metals it contains. He found iron, copper and nickel in hair of all colors. Thus in light hair is prevalent nickel and titanium, in dark hair – copper, iron and cobalt, in brown hair – iron and molybdenum. Gray hair contains only nickel.

Why Do People Fear Senescence?

Men and women live differently inevitable process of senescence. Fair sex of the humanity mourns over their fading beauty, but males are depressed by the thoughts about further problems in sexual life...

Researchers from United Kingdom asked 1100 males and females aged 40 about the impacts the age has on them and what do they think about senescence. According to expectations, males and females do worry equally about their health, however, for the rest their worries differ.

One third if women confessed that most important thing for them is to remain beautiful as longer as possible. Physical attractiveness is important just for 21% of males. One third of males said that sexual life quality loss with aging is their major headache. Just 12% females worry about possible problems in their sexual life.

Besides their appearance, females care for financial stability in their retirement: half women and 39% men said that poverty in their senescence fears them most of all.

Is there Cure for Senescence?

There exist no medications to stop natural process of aging. However, the picture is different when the talk is about infirmities of age. Treatment of such diseases usually helps to slow their development and ease their treatment. However, full recovery is impossible.

When aged person wants to be cheerful and youthful, he must take care about his health. One of the most important requirements here is balanced nutrition. It is recommended to consume food frequently in small portions. It is not recommended to consume fat food.

To maintain good physical form it is necessary to make exercises, to walk, to swim, to work in the garden, to use stairs instead of elevator. Also is required mental “training”. Reading, self-improvement, learning foreign languages help to fight premature senescence.

Senescence is not a disease and doctors cannot prevent you from it. In issues about life length are interested people in their older age. The more older person is, the more disorders he has. Moreover, the more older man is, the more often he suffers from chronic diseases. Even if a man feels himself quite good, it is necessary to measure arterial pressure, check cardiac performance, vision and hearing.

Older people may suffer from mental illnesses. People die after they achieve older age. Cells become poor, body ages and fades away. However, few people die naturally from aging. Often people die from a disease which their weak body couldn't fight.

When does aging begin?
Organs in human body age at different times. Some organs age more rapidly, some more slowly, for example, first signs of intervertebral disks aging do appear in children. At 50 years in women ovarian function gets broken and hormonal balance changes. On the average, first signs of senescence appear at 50 – 70 years and with time become more emphatic.

What Is Senescence?

Senescence is a period of human life which starts at 70 years. At this age do occur various natural changes in human body. First sign of senescence is reduction of skin elasticity. Changes in tissues structure are followed by changes in internal organs. Tissues get wrinkled and muscles get mummified.

Visible signs of senescence may be detected while examination of cardiac muscle. Reduction of elasticity of blood vessels leads to blood vessels diseases. Significant changes occur in ostein. In women most frequently occurs decalcification, bones become fragile and do easily get broken. In men occur prostate gland diseases. Vision and hearing lower.

With age people lose teeth and as a result food is hardly munched. At the age of 50 years increases risks for cancerous growths developments. Physical capacities get decreased significantly, however mental capacities remain without changes till extreme old age.

Remember senescence signs:

• age from 70 years
• fragile bones, frequent dislocations and even fractures
• sclerosis, forgetfulness
• reduction of skin elasticity

Indifference to what is happening around, contemplation of death and suicidal thoughts are signs of mental disorder and not signs of senescence, so these signs require treatment.

Senescence causes
Today science still got no answer to many questions about senescence, however, it can be claimed that the main role in this process play cells - building material which forms human body. It was found that as human ages, his cells do accumulate more and more “wastes” of metabolic processes, but gradually cells lose their ability to do that. Also gets changed genetic data encoded almost in each cell of human body. Human cells cannot reproduce themselves infinitely.

The more frequently cell splitting occurs, the more quickly body uses up. As a result do appear chromosome deficiencies, and cell dies after a number of splitting. Remember that lifestyle has its effects on senescence process. Key role here play heredity and environment.

Senescence Pill

Scientists from Albert Einstein College of Medicine work on a super pill that would treat patients with Alzheimer disease, diabetes, heart diseases, and to prolong life up to 100 years, writes Daily Mail. Scientists have identified three genes that provide a long and healthy life and also prevent from course of diseases connected with body aging. This helped them to create senescence pill.

People, whose DNA contains those three genes, 80% rarely suffer from Alzheimer disease. Also those genes do protect humans from dangerous effects of smoking , poor diet, obesity and lack of physical exercise. Works on creating such super pill are made in several laboratories. Scientists want to find a formula which will imitate activity of these genes.

In 2009, in India, was tested a cheap medication that helps to prevent heart attacks and strokes. Test showed that this pill lowers 80% risk of heart diseases, it is safe for the body and digests well. The pill consists of folic acid and five active pharmacological components that are available separately: aspirin and statin that lower cholesterol level in blood and three components lowering blood pressure.

In 2009 also was discovered that antifungal rapamycin has properties of elixir of life. Rapamycin is found in soil and is produced by soil bacteria. Today medications having rapamycin are used as immunosuppressants preventing human body from rejecting transplant organs.

During an experiment, American researchers gave rapamycin to mice who reached eldery in 20 months that corresponds to a man of 60 years. As a result, life time increased 38% in does and 28% in toms. Scientists say that such rapamycin effect is achieved because the medication blocks TOR protein work regulating cellular metabolism, cells growth and protein production.

New Blood Analysis Helps to Know Speed of Senescence

Scientists from North Carolina State University have invented a new blood analysis to find out how fast are ageing tissues of human body on molecular level.

It emerged that the more older do the tissues grow the much better they are filled with protein called p16INK4a. Measurement of level of this protein can help doctors to know how healthy tissues are and how do they react on surgical interference and on medicines.

To this day the main senescence marker was the length of ends of chromosome called telomere. Telomere regions of chromosomes, whose main feature is the lack of capacity to join other chromosomes or their fragments, perform protective function. Now the new marker of biologic senescence can be called protein p16INK4a.

It is well known, that p16INK4a helps to suppress cancer spreading. That protein are presented in T surpressor cells of immune system. They play the main role in organism fighting with diseases and in reconstruction of damaged tissues.

The number of p16INK4a in blood shows not only how quickly are cells ageing. Also scientists have discovered a connection between protein concentration and way of living and vicious habits such as smoking and physical inactivity which make ageing faster.

To define how exact are the analysis results, scientists have examined blood samples of 170 of people. Test persons also filled up a form where they wrote about state of their health and way of their living. It emerged that p16INK4a is not connected with fattiness although the reduction of food energy can slow down ageing process. More influence on molecular ageing has physical inactivity (in other words lack of physical activity).