Nancy LC
Tue, Sep-17-13, 14:22
Healthy Living may lengthen telomeres (http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/09/17/223386084/healthful-living-may-lengthen-telomeres-and-lifespans)
This was an Ornish diet experiment, so be prepared for the bias.
I am reading this article (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-tall-tail-of-telomeres/#axzz2fBP5i1Ay) from "Mark's Daily Apple" about telomeres and aging and whether extending the length of telomeres is even a good thing or not.
A major mistake made so frequently in medicine, but rarely in other sciences, is the confusion and interchange between correlation and cause. An example is the consistent reference to cholesterol being a cause of heart disease, when in fact it is an association, and even a weak one at that. An entire industry and economy has been built over that “mistake”. I digress; that is a story for another day (or you can read on the web what I have already said about that long ago).
Getting wrinkles is far more correlated, and is therefore a far better biomarker for aging than telomere length, however undergoing a dermabrasion is not likely to extend lifespan. Once again, it is science 101 to not confuse correlation with cause. It could very well be, and in fact is likely, that reduced telomere length is a byproduct of the cell damage and turnover associated with aging, rather than a prime cause of it, though it likely does have some adverse repercussions especially to the immune system and possibly stem cells.
Excellent article, especially with news about the Ornish diet you're likely to hear.
This was an Ornish diet experiment, so be prepared for the bias.
I am reading this article (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-tall-tail-of-telomeres/#axzz2fBP5i1Ay) from "Mark's Daily Apple" about telomeres and aging and whether extending the length of telomeres is even a good thing or not.
A major mistake made so frequently in medicine, but rarely in other sciences, is the confusion and interchange between correlation and cause. An example is the consistent reference to cholesterol being a cause of heart disease, when in fact it is an association, and even a weak one at that. An entire industry and economy has been built over that “mistake”. I digress; that is a story for another day (or you can read on the web what I have already said about that long ago).
Getting wrinkles is far more correlated, and is therefore a far better biomarker for aging than telomere length, however undergoing a dermabrasion is not likely to extend lifespan. Once again, it is science 101 to not confuse correlation with cause. It could very well be, and in fact is likely, that reduced telomere length is a byproduct of the cell damage and turnover associated with aging, rather than a prime cause of it, though it likely does have some adverse repercussions especially to the immune system and possibly stem cells.
Excellent article, especially with news about the Ornish diet you're likely to hear.