A note about the index: The pages referenced in this index refer to the page numbers in the print edition. Clicking on a page number will take you to the ebook location that corresponds to the beginning of that page in the print edition. For a comprehensive list of locations of any word or phrase, use your reading system’s search function.
NOTE: Bold page numbers refer to picture captions.
AARP, 229
AAV (adeno-associated virus), 165
accidents, and death, 70
acetylated adenine ribose, 119
acetyls, 24, 34, 37, 45, 47, 118, 119, 134
actinobacterium, 120–21
aerospace, 270
age, tests for, 73
aged mind-set: experiment for, 72
aging
beginning of, 72
benefits of delayed, 256–59
causes of, 8–18, 19, 20–23, 28, 35, 43, 44, 45–50, 52, 54, 57, 60
chaos as, 47
complexity of, 147
“cure” for, 145–46
as disease, 67–70, 80–84, 264, 268–69, 270, 299, 302–3
evolution of, 72–73
fighting, 80–84
hallmarks/symptoms of, 15, 17–18, 19, 20, 28, 32, 38, 50, 52, 73–74, 77, 84, 147
and mapping human genome, 28
as natural process, 82
season analogy about, 147
stopping, 41–44
theories/hypotheses about, 13–18, 19, 20–23
as treatable condition, 81–82, 84, 127
universal regulators of, 147–48
universal/singular theory about, 8, 13, 14, 17, 19, 20–23
and why we age, 8–18, 19, 20–23, 38, 39, 62, 84
See also specific researcher or topic
Agouti gene, 37
agriculture. See consumption; food
Airbus A380 thought experiment, 157–58
airport scanners, 114
Alliance Assurance Company, 69, 246
allicin, 131
alpha-ketoglutarate, 173
alpha lipoic acid, 14
Alt, Frederick, 44–45
Alzheimer’s
and aging as disease, 67
cause of, 200
as characteristic of aging, 79
and death as a choice, 279
funding for research about, 267
ongoing research about, 297, 298
and senescence research, 67
and sirtuins, 24
and temperature, 108
treatment for, 18
volunteers for research about, 87–88
and yeast studies, 30
See also dementia; memory
American Association for the Advancement of Science, 285
American Medical Association, 285
amino acids, 25, 34, 99–102, 103, 117, 214
Amon, Angelika, 299
Amorim, Joao, 296
AMPK gene, 26, 46, 56, 57, 103, 112, 125, 126, 129, 144–45, 148–49, 264, 296
analog information, 20–21, 22–23, 35, 60, 62, 127, 160, 161, 162
See also epigenome/epigenetics
Anderson, Rozalyn, 95
“antagonistic pleiotropy” (Medawar), 11, 152
antiretrovirals, 155
apes: senescence in, 152–53
apples, 285
arginine, 101
Aristotle, 10
Armstrong, David, 74
Aron, Jan, 124
arthritis, 18, 24, 52, 79, 200
artificial intelligence, 178
asthma, 24
atherosclerosis, 24
athletes
and beginning of aging, 73
biosensors/trackers for, 188
Attia, Peter, 98
Australia
aging as disease in, 270
bushwalking in, 307, 308, 309–10
death in, 274
elderly in, 275
funding in, 274–75
health care in, 274–76
Nick (Sinclair) accident in, 204–5
optimism about world in, 247
physician-assisted suicide in, 280
problems in, 274–76
Sinclair lab research in, 50, 297
Sinclair’s youth/education in, 30–31, 32, 70, 105, 305, 309
Sundrop Farms in, 289
treatment as right in, 274–76, 277
Austriaco, Nicanor, 42
azo dyes, 113
babies
aging of, 115
“designer,” 174–75
baby food, 94
Baker, Darren, 152
Bartke, Andrzej, 66
Barzilai, Nir, 66–67, 96, 126, 127, 299
Bates, Gillian, 66
Baur, Joseph, 132
Bavarian, Roxanne, 297–98
Bayer, 184
Belmonte, Juan Carlos Izpisua, 166
beta-galactosidase, 150
betaine, 305
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 75, 76, 108
Beyond Therapy (President’s Council on Bioethics), 300–301
Biden, Beau, 9
Biden, Joe, 9
bilateral symmetry, 5
biological sciences
predictions about advances in, 263
See also specific researcher or topic
biosensors/trackers, 187–91, 192, 193–99, 214, 232, 273, 299
Biosphere 2 (research experiment), 92–93
birds: and why we age, 11–12
birth certificate: mistake on, 83
birth rate, 244, 245, 247, 248
Bishop, Bronwyn, 274
bisphenol A, 37
Blackburn, Elizabeth, 149, 299
Blasco, Maria, 66
blastocysts, 49
blindness. See vision
blocked carotid arteries, 191, 193
blood
monitoring of, 186, 188, 190–91, 304
and Sinclair’s personal regimen, 304
See also blood glucose; blood pressure; blood sugar
blood pressure, 93, 94, 95, 184
blood sugar, 93, 123–24, 132, 188, 190, 191
Bober, Eva, 43
Boguski, Mark, 176–78
bone loss, 52
bone marrow transplants, 17–18
Bonkowski, Michael, 62, 66, 295–96
Boston Children’s Hospital, 75, 200
Boston, Massachusetts
hospitals in, 75, 76, 108, 200
jobs in, 255
Sinclair arrival in, 105–6
Brady, Tom, 73
BRAF inhibitor, 10
brain, 12, 22, 78, 172, 297, 298
breathing
biosensors/trackers for, 189
See also lungs
Brenner, Charles, 135
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 75
Brimley, Wilford, 208
bristlecone pine trees, 53–54, 56
“brown fat,” 108–9, 110–11, 214
Brunet, Anne, 299
Buck Institute for Research on Aging, 299
Budnik, Bogdan, 295
Buettner, Dan, 88
Buffett, Warren, 252
Bush, George W., 301
butterflies, 37
butylated hydroxytoluene, 15
Calment, Jeanne, 215
calorie restriction (CR), 91–99, 100, 105, 106, 111, 125, 130–31, 133, 158, 173
See also diet; fasting
Campbell, Keith, 16
cancer
and average lifespan, 77
and biosensors/trackers, 188, 194
change in thinking about, 10
as characteristic of aging, 67, 79, 80
cost of innovative medicine for, 273
and death as a choice, 279
diagnosis of, 177, 178–79, 186, 213
and elderly, 253
fight against, 9, 28, 42, 72, 79–80
funding for research about, 267, 268
and genetics, 71
and geroncogenesis, 79
immuno-oncological approaches to, 156
incidence of, 77
as inevitable and irreversible, 80
and metformin, 125
in mice, 155–56
and nitrates, 114
ongoing research about, 9–10, 66, 295, 298
and organization of modern medical culture, 76, 77
pharmaceuticals for, 9, 176, 179, 184
and precision medicine, 178, 180
and radiation, 114
and resveratrol, 132
and senescence, 67, 151, 152, 153
and Sinclair’s mother, 70–71, 72, 79
and sirtuins, 24
survival rates for, 10
symptoms of, 138
and telomeres, 149
testing for, 49
vaccines for, 155–56
and why it happens, 9–10
and yeast studies, 30
Cannon Street Railway Bridge (London), 234–35, 236
Capelli, Peter, 251
capillaries: and reversing of aging, 63
carbon, 37
carcinogens, 114
cardiovascular disease, 77, 99, 101, 125
See also heart disease/problems
Carlson, Anton, 95–96
carnitine, 99
“carrying capacity” of planet, 220–25, 239–43, 283–90
Carter, Jimmy, 179
catalase, 118
caterpillars, 37
Celexa, 183
celiac disease, 182
cells
and attempts to explain life, 118
copies of, 5
differentiation among, 36
ex-differentiation of, 60
and exercise, 104
and fasting, 96
“fate” of, 59
number of enzymes in, 118
resetting of age of, 54
and sirtuins, 43
cellular scale: and exercise, 102–3
centenarian study, 96–97
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 102
Cepko, Connie, 294
cerebral vascular disease, 92
CETP, 126–27
chameleon lizard, 12
Charpentier, Emmanuelle, 286–87
checkpoint blockade therapy, 179
chemotherapy, 9, 48, 76, 139, 141, 154, 182, 183, 185, 273, 296–97
chickenpox, 202
children
and aging of babies, 115
genetically altered, 174–75, 233
and great-grandparents, 292–93
healing of, 74
and senescence, 153
See also birth rate; childbirth
cholesterol, 93, 94, 124, 134, 191
chromosomes, 36, 149, 159, 182, 296
chronic illness, 280
Chwalek, Karolina, 295
Clarke, Arthur C., 262–63
climate
and broken DNA, 44
and concern for future, 261, 293
and consumption, 285, 286, 287, 289–90
and global carrying capacity, 240
and population growth, 220–25
research about, 258
as threat, 285
cloning, 15–16, 23, 159, 161, 162, 306
cnidarians, 297
coastal flooding, 224
Cobbett, William, 237
Cocoon (movie), 208
code of life, 27–28
Cohen, Haim, 45
communication, cellular, 17, 22–23, 45, 161–62
Congress, U.S., 226, 265–66, 267
consciousness, 5
consumption
and “carrying capacity” of planet, 283–90
climate and, 285, 286, 287, 289–90
and concern about the future, 293
and death of “stuff,” 283–84
“dematerialization” and, 283
of food, 284–86
genetic modification and, 284–86, 287
and genome editing, 286–87
natural life cycle and, 301
and population growth, 283–90
and technology, 283–90
Cook, Tim, 252
COPD, 77
Copeland, Royal, 110
Copine2, 298
Coppotelli, Giuseppe, 298
Cornaro, Alvise (Luigi), 90
cosmic rays, 7
Coumadin, 183
CR Society International, 93
Crimmins, Eileen, 78
crisis mode, evolution and, 16–18, 19, 20–23
Crouch, Ian, 208
Cruise, Tom, 208
cryotherapy, 110
CT scans, 44
Cutting, Windsor, 109
Cyteir Therapeutics, 42
cytoplasm, 155
DALY (disability-adjusted life year), 78–79
Das, Abhirup, 297
dasatinib, 154
Dawes, Ian, 30–31
Dayal, Pratika, 278
de Cabo, Rafael, 100, 124, 132–33
death
acceptance of, 10–13
average age of, 78
and biosensors/trackers, 191
causes/reasons for, 10–13, 62, 67–70, 72, 89
chance of, 69
as choice, 278–82
and deterioration, 69
and diet, 286
diseases and, 89
impact on population growth of, 245, 247
inevitability of, 119
internal clocks and, 69–70
and Law of Human Mortality, 69–70
lifestyle and, 89
and mortality tables, 246
from motor vehicle accidents, 205
and NAD, 134
prediction of, 69–70
prevention of unnecessary, 180
scientific mandate for, 264
of “stuff,” 283–84
universal model of life and, 41
See also specific disease
defibrillators, 78
delayed aging: benefits of, 256–59
dementia, 52, 68, 77, 78, 80, 81, 125, 134, 150
See also Alzheimer’s; memory
“designer babies,” 174–75
DeStefano, Susan, 294–95
Deursen, Jan van, 152
diabetes
in Australia, 275
and biosensors/trackers, 188
cause of, 150
as cause of death, 68
as characteristic of aging, 79, 82
cost of innovative medicine for, 273
diet and, 95
and elderly, 253
and guanide/guanidine, 123–24
and healing, 74–75
incidence of, 77
as inevitable and irreversible, 80
insurance coverage for, 232
metformin and, 124–27
and NMN, 136
ongoing research about, 295
and organization of modern medical culture, 76
sirtuins and, 24
STACs and, 136
and sugar, 123–24
and wounds, 74–75
diagnosis
in the future, 213
ongoing research about, 299
and precision medicine, 176–80
and technology, 181–86
See also specific disease
Dickinson, Richard, 31
diet
advice about, 88
“best,” 88
biosensors/trackers for, 188, 190, 191, 192
and death, 286
and disease, 91
DNA and, 91
epigenetics and, 91
impact on lifespan of, 88, 89–95, 97, 99, 101–2, 106, 111, 113–14
and self-knowledge, 182
and Sinclair’s personal regimen, 304, 307
sirtuins and, 25
and stress, 113–14
studies about, 91–95
survival circuit and, 24, 91, 98, 99, 102
and technology, 214
and universal regulators of aging, 148
vegetarian, 101–2
weight and, 95
See also calorie restriction; fasting; food
digital information, 20, 23, 60, 160
digoxin, 183–84
dimethyl biguanide, 124
dinitrophenol, 109–10
discrimination, age, 251–53, 254, 258–59
disease
aging as, 67–70, 80–84, 264, 268–69, 270, 299, 302–3
Barzilai study of, 66–67
and beginning of aging, 70–75, 79
and benefits of delayed aging, 257
biosensors/trackers and, 188, 192, 193–94
communicable, 273
cost of fighting/treating, 258, 273
and death as a choice, 279–80
and diet, 91
focus on individual, 75–80
and FOXO gene, 57
funding for research about, 268–69, 273, 299
increase in, 77
and Law of Human Mortality, 67–70
and NAD, 24
ongoing research about, 298
and organization of modern medical culture, 75–80, 77
prediction about surviving, 71
and shift from miasmatic theory to germ theory, 237–38
sirtuins and, 24
and technology, 243
and universal model of life and death, 41
and universal regulators of aging, 148
See also diagnosis; treatment; specific disease
“Disposable Soma Hypothesis” (Kirkwood), 11–12
divisions
and health care as a right, 277–78
DNA
and attempts to explain life, 118, 119
biosensors/trackers and, 189, 191, 194
characteristics of, 20
complexity of, 159
consumption and, 287
and diagnosing disease, 201
and diet, 91
as digital information, 20
and economic divisions, 232
and epigenetic landscape, 58
and epigenome, 36
and funding for aging research, 271
helicases, 33
and mapping human genome, 27–28
metformin and, 126
methylated, 169, 170, 171, 181, 306
ongoing research about, 294
packaging of, 24, 37, 41, 47, 119
and piano analogy, 37
and precision medicine, 178, 179, 180
and reprogramming, 159, 169, 170, 171
and self-knowledge, 181
sequencing of, 178, 179, 181, 194, 197, 201, 232, 294
and sirtuins, 24
as storing and copying information, 14, 20, 44, 47, 114, 160
and telomeres, 149
and threats to humans, 197
and understanding aging, 117
and universal model of life and death, 41
and why we age, 14, 15, 16, 20
and yeast studies, 30–35, 38, 39, 40–44, 152
See also DNA, broken/damaged; DNA, repair of
DNA, broken/damaged
as cause of aging, 13–14
and epigenetics, 38, 59, 60, 61, 137
and evolution of aging, 5, 6, 7, 26
and nitrates, 114
number of, 44
ongoing research about, 297
reprogramming and, 162, 171, 174
and resveratrol, 132
retrotransposons and, 154, 155
and smoking, 79
sugar and, 44
and survival circuit, 44, 45, 46–47, 48, 50, 52, 57, 162
and telomeres, 149
and universal model of life and death, 41
and why we age, 17
and yeast studies, 35, 42, 43, 152
DNA methyl-transferases (DNMTs), 59
DNA, repair of
and evolution of aging, 5, 6, 7
ongoing research about, 296, 298
and retrotransposons, 155
and sirtuins, 24, 25, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 137
smoking and, 79
and stress, 113
survival circuit and, 44, 45, 47
and telomeres, 149
and TOR gene, 25
DNP (2, 4-dinitrophenol), 109–10
doctors
and biosensors/trackers, 192
and funding in aging research, 269
lack of aging knowledge of, 88
misdiagnosis by, 177, 178, 179–80, 213
as only conduit for diagnosis, 185
and patients at center of their own care, 180
and physician-assisted suicide, 280
and technology, 176–77
and treatment as a right, 272
video home visits by, 186
wait time for, 185–86
Dolly (cloned sheep), 16, 159, 161
Dongsheng Cai, 105
double helix, 28
Doudna, Jennifer, 286–87
drug overdoses, 78
drugs. See pharmaceuticals
Duesberg, Peter, 9
DVD analogy, 20, 22, 23, 35, 52, 158, 159, 160, 161, 164, 171
Ebola virus, 196
economics/economy
and betterment of individual lives, 247
and elderly, 255–59
and expansion of lifespan, 219, 230–31
in the future, 261
haves and have-nots and, 231–34
and health care costs, 256–59
and retirement, 255–56
social insecurity and, 230–31
and treatment as a right, 272
education, 250, 255, 258, 259, 290–91
Ehrlich, Anne, 222
Ehrlich, Paul, 222
elderly
in Australia, 275
as burden/problem, 250–51
and cost of medical care, 256–59
diseases of, 253
and economy, 255–59
in the future, 265
poverty among, 227–31
as revered, 250
role of, 249–56
See also great-grandparents
Eli Lilly, 42
Ellis, Erle C., 241–42
Ellison, Martin, 230
embryonic development, 21
embryos: aging of, 115
emphysema, 71
environment. See climate
epigallocatechin gallate, 131
epigenetic landscape, 58–60, 61, 62, 112–15, 137, 145, 158, 164, 166
epigenetic noise, 137–41, 145–46, 150, 160, 161, 162, 214, 297, 379
epigenome/epigenetics
and analog information, 60
and blood sugar, 123
as cause of aging, 35, 44, 48–50
and chaos, 38
complexity of, 36
and economic divisions, 232
evolution of, 60
and expansion of lifespan, 145–46
and how it works, 137–41
and information storage, 160
and Information Theory of Aging, 36, 48–50
and life expectancy, 245
and lifespan in future, 214, 218
and longevity in mammals, 55
meaning of, 21
and metformin, 126
in mice, 164
ongoing research about, 295, 296, 297
and piano analogy, 36–38
and pine trees, 54
power of, 122
and rapamycin, 122
and reprogramming, 161, 162, 164, 169, 170, 214, 218
and reverse aging, 63
and Shannon communication theory, 162
smoking and, 79
and storage of information, 160
stress and, 112–15
and survival circuit, 47, 48–50, 52, 57
and telomeres, 149
and universal model of life and death, 41
Waddington research on, 21
See also analog information; epigenetic landscape; epigenetic noise; Waddington, Conrad H.
Erbitux, 183
ERCs (extrachromosomal ribosomal DNA circles), 40–41, 42, 43, 44, 47, 91
“Error Catastrophe Hypothesis” (Orgel), 14
ethics
and aging as disease, 303
and Airbus A380 thought experiment, 157–58
and expansion of lifespan, 218–19
and funding for aging research, 270–71
of reprogramming, 173–75
euchromatin genes, 36
European Union, 287
Evagrius Ponticus, 90
evolution, 3–5, 6, 7–8, 12–13, 16, 119, 152–53, 220
exercise
and beginning of aging, 73
and biosensors/trackers, 190
diet and, 104–5
expansion of lifespan and, 145
mimic of, 26
and NAD, 136
and reverse aging, 62–63
and Sinclair’s personal regimen, 304, 307
sirtuins and, 25
and technology, 214
and universal regulators of aging, 148
See also physical fitness
experimentation: importance of, 274
eyes. See glaucoma; macular degeneration; vision
Farr, William, 237
fasting
and exercise, 105
and expansion of lifespan, 145
impact on lifespan of, 89–99
intermittent, 95–96, 98, 133, 145, 304
and longevity genes, 26
and NAD, 136
and resveratrol, 133
and temperature, 112
See also calorie restriction; diet
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, U.S. (1938), 109–10
Feinstein, Dianne, 226
Feng Zhang, 287
Ferry, Edna, 91
fertility, 34, 47, 138–39, 140–41, 149, 258, 297
See also infertility; reproduction; sterility
Feynman, Richard, 119
fitness. See exercise; physical fitness
flies
death of, 69
See also fruit flies
folic acid, 37
“The Follower” (Heaney poem), 250–51
food
consumption of, 284–86
genetically modified, 284–86
and population growth, 222, 223, 224, 244
and Sinclair’s personal regimen, 304
wasting of, 284
See also diet
Food and Drug Administration, U.S., 127, 184, 188
Foot, Philippa, 158
FOXO genes. See DAF-16 gene
FOXO genes, 56
FOXO3 genes, 56, 57, 118, 119, 126–27
frailty, 52, 62, 63, 75, 82, 125, 298, 301
“Free Radical Theory of Aging” (Harman), 14–15
free radicals, 14–15
“French paradox,” 130
Friedreich’s ataxia, 136
frogs: reprogramming of, 159, 164
fruit flies, 43, 91, 108, 122, 132
Fuller, Ida May, 228
funding
for aging research, 81, 258, 265–71, 293, 294, 299, 301, 303
in Australia, 274–75
and concern for future, 293
and consumption, 290
and definition of disease, 266
federal, 265–67
and opposition to aging research, 301
for vaccines, 203
future
description of world in, 264–65
great-grandparents in, 292–93
imagining the, 207–9
and London example, 234–39
making decisions about, 261
math concerning the, 213–20
planning for the, 293
population concerns about, 220–25
prolonged youthfulness in, 265
questions to ask about, 207
See also optimism/pessimism
G. officinalis, 145
Gasser, Susan, 41–42
gastrointestinal conditions, 89
Gates, Bill, 197, 203–4, 216, 245, 252
Gates, Melinda, 203–4
Gattaca (movie), 233
Gencaro, 184
gender, 182–83
See also women
See also “mating-type” genes
gene B, 5, 6, 7, 24, 25, 34, 39, 45
gene therapy, 164, 173–75, 294, 296
See also reprogramming
genes
and attempts to explain life, 118
and cause of aging, 28
and evolution of aging, 4, 5, 6, 7–8
funding for research about, 299
number of, 36
and piano analogy, 36–38
and purpose of gene circuit, 7–8
sequencing of, 209
silencer, 5
switching/swapping of, 33
transfer of, 5
and yeast studies, 30
See also epigentics; gene therapy; genetics; reprogramming; specific gene
genetic modification, 174–75, 214, 233, 236, 284–86, 287
See also cloning; reprogramming
genetics
and biosensors/trackers, 191
and cancer, 71
and cause of aging, 13–14
and evolution of aging, 4
outlawing of improvements in, 271
and technology, 186
See also cloning; genetic modification; genome/genomics; reprogramming
genistein, 37
genome/genomics
biosensors/trackers and, 191
and diagnosis of disease, 201
evolution of, 60
and evolution of aging, 7
functions of, 37
letters in human, 181
mapping of human, 27–28
nuclear, 15
ongoing research about, 297
pharmaceuticals and, 184–85
and piano analogy, 36–38
precision medicine and, 177–78, 179
and reprogramming, 172
retrotransposons and, 155
and self-knowledge, 182, 183, 184
and sequencing, 177–78
sirtuins and, 128
and survival circuit, 48
and universal model of life and death, 41
and why we age, 14, 15, 39, 40
and yeast studies, 35, 39, 40, 41, 42
germ theory: shift to, 237–38
German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 122
geroncogenesis, 79
glaucoma, 152, 154, 164–65, 167, 169
GlaxoSmithKline, 203–4
Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging (Harvard), 298
Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging (MIT), 299
Global Climate Action Summit (2018), 289
Global Foodprint Network, 223
global warming. See climate
glucokinase, 117
See also blood glucose
gluten, 182
Goldwater, Barry, 229
Good Samaritan, 265
Goodall, David, 280
Gorbunova, Vera, 155
Gotta, Monica, 41–42
Grassley, Chuck, 226
Graunt, John, 68
gray hair, 32, 38, 50, 73, 79, 82, 165, 166, 300
Great Barrier Reef, 224
great-grandparents, 292–93
Great Mouse Treadmill Failure (2017), 62–63, 136, 297
Greek Orthodox Church: and fasting, 97
Gregory-Ksander, Meredith, 169
Greider, Carol, 149
Griffin, Marie, 202
Griffin, Patrick, 297
“group selection,” 10–11
growth: and TOR gene, 25
guanidine, 123–24
guanine, 79
Guarente, Leonard, 32–33, 35, 38, 41, 42, 127, 134, 299, 310
Gueniot, Alexandre, 90
Gutenberg, Johannes, 250
H1N1 virus, 194
Haigis, Marcia, 298
hair loss, 32
Haldane, J.B.S., 11
Hall, Michael, 122
hallmarks/symptoms of aging
and beginning of aging, 73–74
complexity of, 147
discovery of, 28
epigenetics and, 52
and organization of modern medical culture, 77–78, 77
and singular theory of aging, 19
and Werner syndrome, 32
and why we age, 15, 17–18, 20, 38, 84
See also specific hallmark or symptom
Harman, Denham, 14–15
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 50
Hartley, Ralph, 161
Harvey, William, 102
haves and have-nots, 231–34
Hawking, Stephen, 222–23
HDAC (histone deacetylase), 47
He Jiankui, 174
health care. See medical care
healthspan
and cost of medical care, 256–59
of elderly, 243
and lifespan, 282
and organization of modern medical culture, 78
pharmaceuticals for extension of, 273
Heaney, Seamus, 250–51
heart disease/problems
biosensors/trackers for, 189, 193
as cause of death, 68
as characteristic of aging, 67, 79, 80
and death as a choice, 279
and elderly, 253
and “French paradox,” 130
funding for research about, 267
importance of, 205
incidence of, 77
and Lyme disease, 200
and organization of modern medical culture, 76, 78
protein and, 99
and resveratrol, 132
and sirtuins, 24
and temperature, 112
and Werner syndrome, 32
See also cardiovascular disease
Heilbronn, Leonie, 93
Heitman, Joseph, 122
Helen Hay Whitney Foundation Fellowship, 32
helicases, 33
hepatitis, 75
heterochromatin genes, 36
hip fractures, 73–74
Hippocrates, 90
histone methyltransferases (HMTs), 59
histones, 21, 24, 34, 36, 45, 47, 118, 119, 134, 149, 171
Hoelzel, Frederick, 96
Holonyak, Nick, 288
homeostasis, 106
Hooke, Robert, 116
Hopper, Grace, 58
hormone replacement therapy, 267
Horvath, Steve, 52
See also specific hospital
Human Capital Index, 275
Human Genome Project, 177, 181
humans
difficulties of testing on, 91–92, 93
mammals compared with, 56
and mapping of human genome, 27–28
survival circuit in, 8
and why we age, 8–13
See also specific topic
Hundred Years Warning, 220–25
hunger. See calorie restriction; diet; fasting; food
Hunt, Greg, 270
Hurricane Katrina analogy, 45–46, 47
Huxley, Thomas Henry, 239
Hydra vulgaris polyp, 54
hypothermia, 111
hypoxic response, 104
Ideker, Trey, 52
IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1), 66, 96–97
Ikaria, Greece, 97
Imai, Shin-ichiro, 42, 45, 134, 136
immortality: why don’t we have, 11–13
immune system, 10, 22, 42, 113, 121, 150, 156, 165, 178, 179, 213
implants, 192
See also transplants
income
and concern about the future, 293
divisions/inequality in, 231–34, 277–78
and life expectancy, 231–34
and treatment as a right, 277
See also poverty; standard of living; wealth
infections
and biosensors/trackers, 188, 192
and death, 70
funding for study of, 265
and senescence, 153
spleen, 205
symptoms of, 138
as threat to life expectancy, 195–98
See also fertility; reproduction; sterility
inflammation
biosensors/trackers for, 189, 191
and NAD, 134
ongoing research about, 296
and resveratrol, 132
and retrotransposons, 155
and TOR gene, 25
influenza, 89, 122, 194–95, 195, 202, 204, 276
information
aging as loss of, 20–23
and attempts to explain life, 119
availability of patient, 213
consolidation of biotracking/sensor, 197
and DVD analogy, 159, 160, 161
loss of, 26, 159, 160, 161, 162
and reprogramming, 159, 160, 161–62
and reverse aging, 23
storage/backup of, 14, 20, 22, 44, 47, 114, 160, 161–62, 169, 297
types of, 20–21
See also type of information
Information Theory of Aging
attempts to disprove, 38, 40–44
basis for, 23–26
and causes of aging, 48–50, 57
epigenetic noise as central to, 47, 57
epigenome and, 36
and ICE mice research, 49–50, 51, 52
importance of, 84
and lifespan in future, 218
and loss of information, 160
ongoing research about, 295
and preservation of information, 22
reprogramming and, 170
reverse aging and, 63
and Shannon communication studies, 162
survival circuit and, 23–26, 57
and why we age, 38
yeast studies and, 29–35
innovation: optimism about future, 213–20
inoculations. See vaccines
InsideTracker, 191
Institute of International Law, 262
See also diabetes
insurance companies, 69, 246, 303
internal clocks: and death, 69–70
International Classification of Diseases (WHO), 68, 302–3
investments, people as, 252–53, 256
iPSC cells, 163–64
Ipsos MORI, 248
isoleucine, 101
jellyfish, 54, 56, 57, 158, 297
Jenner, Edward, 148
Johnson, Bradley, 42
Johnson, Julie, 184–85
Johnson, Lyndon, 229
Johnston, John, 29–30
Jun Li, 298
Kagawa, Yassuo, 92
Kane, Alice, 298
Karcher, Jean-Frederic, 198
Kelly, Kevin, 216–17
kidneys, 75, 79, 124, 136, 150, 166, 172, 205, 207
Kirkland, James, 154
Kirkwood, Thomas, 11–12
Ksander, Bruce, 169
Kuhn, Thomas, 16
laboratories
medical testing in, 199–201, 258
tour of Sinclair, 294–98
See also specific laboratory or researcher
Lamming, Dudley, 100
landscape
See also epigenetic landscape
larotrectinib, 184
Lassa fever, 204
Law of Human Mortality, 69–70, 76, 246
Lawan Kuhn, 176, 177, 178, 180, 182
Lecomte du Nouy, Pierre, 74
Leeuwenhoek, Antonie van, 148, 239–40
leucine, 101
Levine, Benjamin, 62
Li-Huei Tsai, 299
life
attempts to explain, 116–20
quality of, 273
life expectancy
100 years as, 245
120 years as potential, 245
150 years as, 245
average, 195
decline in, 276
and evolution, 153
and flu epidemic (1918), 195
gains in, 195
impact of expansion of, 217–20
and income, 231–34
increase in, 70
math about, 213–20
reprogramming and, 245
and technology, 245
threats to, 194–99
See also lifespan; specific nation
lifespan
and death as a choice, 281
and diet, 102
ethics about expansion of, 218–19
and evolution of humans, 220
expansion of, 116–20, 144–46, 213–31, 264, 277
in the future, 213–20
and healthspan, 282
lack of knowledge about, 116–17
predictions about, 263
skeptics about, 263–64
technology impact on, 213–20, 264
universal model of, 41
See also life expectancy; specific topic
lifestyle, 11–12, 89, 93, 110–11, 145, 190, 239
lighting, 288
LINE-1 retrotransposons, 154–55
LINE-1 virus (fictional virus), 81–82
List of Essential Medicines (WHO), 124
Lombard, David, 42
longevity
and gender, 182–83
as inevitable, 219
longevity genes
and evolution of aging, 23–26
and expansion of lifespan, 264
mapping human genome and, 28
ongoing research about, 296, 298
survival circuit and, 57
and treatment as a right, 278
underutilization of, 102
See also sirtuin genes; specific gene or sirtuin
Longo, Valter, 95
See also breathing
macrophages, 150
macular degeneration, 25, 164–65
See also vision
Maffei 1 galaxy, life on, 278–79
Magna superstes, 4–5, 7, 12, 23, 24, 38, 45, 60, 106, 119
malaria, 203–4
mammals
humans compared with, 56
See also specific mammal
Manhattan Project, 14
maple syrup urine disease, 31
marathons: elderly as running in, 249–50
Martin, George, 32
A Mathematical Theory of Communication (Shannon), 22–23, 162, 163
“mating-type” genes, 33, 34, 39, 43, 45, 47, 48, 69, 128, 149
Mayo Clinic, 104
McBurney, Michael, 44
McCay, Clive, 91
McGlothin, Paul, 93–94
McNabb, David, 42
measles, 203
meat, 88, 99, 100, 101, 114, 286, 304
MECP2 gene, 306
medical care
availability of, 248
equitable access to, 271–78
optimism/pessimism about, 215–16, 248
organization of modern, 75–80, 81
and precision medicine, 177–78
quality of, 271–78
and quality of life, 273
refocusing/transformation of, 26, 177–78
and treatment as a right, 271–78
U.S. as best, 277
See also doctors; hospitals
medical records: trust with, 197–98
medicines. See pharmaceuticals
Melton, Douglas, 32
See also Alzheimer’s; dementia
Mendel, Lafayette, 91
meningitis, 203
menstruation, 138–39, 141, 194
The Merck Manual of Geriatrics, 80–81
metabolism, 4, 17, 24, 25, 43, 45, 101, 109, 126
metformin, 124–27, 129, 131, 137, 141, 143, 144, 232, 264, 269, 304
methionine, 100–101
methylation, 52
methylfolate, 305
methyls, 37, 169, 170, 171, 172, 305
miasmatic theory, 237–38
mice
Bramble Cay melomys, 224
cancer in, 155–56
and cholesterol, 124
death of, 69
diabetes in, 136
diet of, 91, 92–93, 94, 99, 100, 101
and DNA damage, 114
and epigenetics, 37, 48–50, 52, 60, 164
exercise/treadmill tracking program for, 62–63, 136, 297
gender of, 182
genetically modified, 214
ICE, 49–50, 51, 52, 60, 114, 166–67, 295
inflammation in, 153
and Kirkwood theory, 11–12
LMNA, 166
metformin in, 124–25
old versus sick, 50
ongoing research about, 296, 297, 298
premature aging in, 166
and radiation exposure, 114
and rapamycin, 122
and reprogramming, 164, 165, 166–69, 170, 172
and resveratrol, 132–33
and retrotransposons, 155
reverse aging in, 62–64, 167–68
Richardson–Van Remmen experiments with, 15
senescence in, 150, 152, 153, 154, 155
SIRT2 and, 140
SIRT6 in, 155
survival circuit studies and, 49–50, 51, 52
tumors in, 172
universal regulators of aging in, 147
and weight, 124
See also rats; rodents
Michelson, Albert, 216
Micrographia (Hooke), 116
Mills, Kevin, 42
MinION, 181
MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
biosensor/trackers research at, 188
Glenn Center at, 299
See also specific researcher
Mitchell, Jay, 100
mitochondria
and cause of aging, 14
exercise and, 104
and long-term well-being, 84
metformin and, 125
ongoing research about, 298
resveratrol and, 132
STACs and, 136
and survival circuit, 52
and temperature, 108, 109, 110
Mohammed, Parvez, 298
Monbiot, George, 283
Morris, Margaret, 136
Mortimer, Robert, 29–31
Mosquirix, 204
Mostovslavsky, Raul, 44–45
mother, Sinclair’s See Sinclair, Diana (mother)
mother, student’s: and NMN, 138–39
Movva, Rao, 122
MSN2 gene, 56
mTOR enzyme
and emergency situations, 46
exercise and, 103
identification of, 122
as longevity pathway, 129
prevalence of, 25
and reproduction, 141
and self-knowledge, 183
and stress, 112
in yeast, 122
mumps, 203
Murthy, Mala, 42
muscles, 24, 52, 63, 101, 102, 103, 137, 150, 191
mutations
cause of, 15
of DAF-16 genes, 56
deleterious, 54
ongoing research about, 297, 298
in pine trees, 54
and precision medicine, 179
and self-knowledge, 182
senescence and, 152
and smoking, 79
survival circuit and, 52
and why we age, 11, 14, 15, 16, 23
N-nitroso compounds, 114
NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide)
and attempts to explain life, 118, 119
discovery of, 134
and epigenetic landscape, 137
exercise and, 103
and expansion of lifespan, 145, 264
fertility and, 138–39
functions of, 24, 129, 134, 137, 140
Imai research about, 42
metformin and, 126
rapamycin and, 121
and retrotransposons, 155
senescence and, 155
and Sinclair’s personal regimen, 305
as STAC, 134–37
and yeast, 155
nanoworld: and understanding aging, 117–20
National Academy of Sciences, 285
National Aeronautical and Space Agency (NASA), 296
National Institute on Aging, 268
National Institutes of Health (NIH), 16, 79, 182, 265–66, 267, 268, 288
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), 224
national security, 263
nationalism, 226
natural: what is, 242–43
natural life cycle, 300–302
natural selection, 11, 12, 152, 243
Navratilova, Martina, 73
nerves/nervous system, 137, 150, 167, 168, 171, 200, 296–97
neurons
degeneration of, 132, 136, 190
and epigenetics, 22
ongoing research about, 297
Newton, Isaac, 239
nicotinamide, 305
nicotinamide mononucleotide. See NMN
Nicoya, Costa Rica: as centenarian-heavy place, 88
NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide), 135–37, 138, 139, 140, 141–44, 148, 297, 298, 305, 306
Nobel Prizes, 30, 122, 149, 164, 216, 286
“noisy-channel coding theorem” (Shannon), 161–62
Noori, Indra, 252
Notch genes, 167
NR (nicotinamide riboside), 135, 136–37, 305
nucleolar explosion, 91
Nyquist, Harry, 161
Nystrom, Thomas, 66
Obama, Barack, 9
obesity, 78, 104, 108, 109–10, 267, 275
See also weight
Okinawa, Japan: as centenarian-heavy place, 88, 92
Olshansky, S. Jay, 76–77
Oncotype DX, 182
Onder, Harun, 226
optic nerves. See vision
optimism/pessimism
and “carrying capacity” of planet, 243
and consumption, 283
about expansion of lifespan, 213–20
and medical care availability, 248
of medical professors, 215–16
and population growth, 220–25, 243, 247, 249
and reprogramming, 172–73
of Sinclair, 213–20, 234, 243, 299–300
and standard of living, 247, 248
about technology, 209
organ donors, 205–7
organic food, 131
organohalides, 113
Orgel, Leslie, 14
Osborne, Thomas, 91
oxidation: and cause of aging, 14
pain: cause of, 62
Parable of the Good Samaritan, 259–60
Partridge, Linda, 66
Pasteur, Louis, 237–38
Patrick, Rhonda, 188
PD-1 inhibitors, 155
PD-L1 inhibitors, 156
Pearce, Christie, 73
Pelosi, Nancy, 226
Perdue, Sonny, 287
pets: on NMN, 306
Pew Research Center, 220–21
pharmaceuticals
adverse reactions to, 138
and aging as disease, 270, 303
and attempts to explain life, 120
and Barzilai study of diseases, 67
benefits of, 149
contribution to lifespan of, 89
development of, 276
and economic divisions in U.S., 232
and expansion of lifespan, 146
for extension of healthspans, 273
funding for development of, 269, 270, 299
and the future, 214
impact on aging of, 120–23
insurance coverage for, 232
and knowledge about aging, 18
for longevity, 273
and mapping human genome, 28
metabolizing of, 183
ongoing research about, 298
and precision medicine, 179
as prolonging life, 273
purpose of, 120
retirement age and, 229
and self-knowledge, 181–82, 183
and sirtuins, 24
survival mechanisms and, 146
and WHO List of Essential Medicines, 124
See also specific pharmaceutical or disease
phosphorus, 117
See also exercise
piano analogy, 36–38
Pichardo-Casas, Israel, 295
pigs: as organ donors, 206–7
pine trees, bristlecone, 53–54, 56
Planck, Max, 225
plants
protein from, 99–102
and Sinclair’s personal regimen, 304
stressed, 131
survival circuits of, 131
plasmids, 49
Plavix, 183
politics/politicians
and concern about the future, 293
consumption and, 283
and divisions in American society, 232
and expansion of lifespan, 219, 229–30
health care system and, 277
and hundred-year politician, 225–27
social insecurity and, 229–30
polycystic ovary syndrome, 141
polyphenols, 101
population
and “carrying capacity” of planet, 220–25, 239–43, 283–90
child mortality and, 248
and consumption, 283–90
decline in annual rate of, 244–45
and expansion of lifespan, 226, 244–45, 247–49
and food supply, 222, 223, 224, 244
growth of, 283–90
Leeuwenhoek views about, 239–40
optimism/pessimism about growth in, 220–25, 247, 249
and standard of living, 247, 248, 249
See also birth rate
poverty, 227–31, 248, 264, 277, 293
See also income; standard of living
Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 130
precision medicine, 177–80
predictions
of Clarke, 262–63
about death, 69–70
economic, 230–31
of Hawking, 222–23
about IGF-1, 96–97
about lifespan, 263
model for future, 230
and population in the future, 222–23, 224
about surviving disease, 71
about technology, 263
of Wells, 236
premature aging, 16, 43, 153, 166, 296
President’s Council on Bioethics, 300–301
Prevnar vaccine, 202
Princeton Theological Seminary: good samaritans at, 259–60
printing living tissue, 207, 214, 294
privacy issues, 197–98, 270–71
Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), 203–4
protein
and amino acids, 99
animal, 99
and attempts to explain life, 117, 118, 119
benefits of, 99
and consumption, 286
epigentics and, 21
“good,” 101
and guanidine, 123
and metformin, 125
ongoing research about, 295, 297
plant, 99–102
and precision medicine, 178
and self-knowledge, 185
senescence and, 150
and Sir2, 66
sources of, 99–102
sugar and, 123
and survival circuit, 23
TOR gene and, 25
and why we age, 17
and yeast studies, 34
See also specific protein
public health
in London, 234–36
as threat, 194–99
pulmonary disease, 71
radiation, 9, 14, 44, 46–47, 114–15, 156, 179, 287, 296
Rajman, Luis, 295
Rando, Thomas, 299
rapalogs, 264
rapamycin, 120–23, 129, 137, 141, 154
rats
and exercise, 104
and reprogramming, 164
and temperature, 108
See also mice
Ravussin, Eric, 93
rDNA. See ribosomal DNA
Rebelo, Bernard, 110
Reich, David, 294
religion, 294–95
reproduction
and epigenetic landscape, 59
and evolution of aging, 5, 6, 7, 8
survival circuit and, 24, 45, 46, 47
and why we age, 11–12
See also fertility; infertility; sterility
reprogramming
and chromosomes, 159
and DNA, 159, 162, 169, 170, 171, 174
and epigenetics, 158, 161, 162, 164, 166, 169, 170
ethics of, 173–75
and expansion of lifespan, 264
and genome, 172
histones and, 171
immune system and, 165
and information, 159, 160, 161–62
and Information Theory of Aging, 170
life expectancy and, 245
and lifespan in future, 218
methyls and, 169, 170, 171, 172
and mice, 164, 165, 166–69, 170, 172
on-going research about, 296–97
and optimism about future, 172–73
purposes of, 205–7
and retirement, 255
reverse aging and, 163, 164, 167–68
and RNA, 169
sirtuins and, 164
and stem cells, 163–64
and survival circuit, 162, 171
and transplants, 207
unanswered questions about, 172
See also gene therapy; specific disease or injury
research, aging
benefits of, 299–300
cancer research compared with, 10
expansion of ongoing, 294–300
funding for, 81, 258, 265–71, 276, 293, 294, 299, 301, 303
opposition to, 300–302
and scientific interest in aging, 269
and tour of Sinclair labs, 294–98
volunteers for, 87–88, 93, 173
See also specific researcher or research topic
research centers, medical: organization of, 76, 81
resilience: acceptance of loss of, 75
resveratrol, 129, 130–33, 134, 296, 304
retirement, 229, 230, 253, 255–56, 291, 293
See also work/workforce
reverse aging
and benefits of delayed aging, 257
and digital information, 23
and fertility, 140–41
and information storage and recovery, 23
ongoing research about, 298
reprogramming and, 163, 164, 167–68
and Shannon’s studies, 163
should we do?, 64
Sinclair father’s story about, 141–44
revolution: and health care as a right, 277–78
ribosomal DNA (rDNA), 34, 39, 40–41, 43, 44, 69, 128
See also ERCs
ribosomes: and attempts to explain life, 117
Richardson, Arlan, 15
right: treatment as a, 303
Rinaldi, Conrad, 298
robots, 18
Roddenberry, Gene, 236
and cancer, 125
death of, 280
Harman experiments with, 14–15
and metformin, 125
and NAD, 141
as precursors for human experiments, 141
See also mice; rats
Rogan, Joe, 110
Ross, Jaime, 297
Rothschild, Nathan Mayer, 69, 246
roundworms, 56, 66, 69, 132, 147
Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, 65–67, 84, 238–39, 246, 310
RPE65 mutation, 164
rubella, 203
running out of money, 255–56
Ryan/Vitéz, Vera (grandmother), 74, 76, 275, 307, 308, 310
Sabatini, David, 122
Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast), 29, 30–31, 111, 121
Samuelson, Paul, 225
sanitation systems, 234–39
Sardinia, Italy: as centenarian-heavy place, 88
“sauna bathing,” 111–12
scanners, 188
See also biosensors/trackers
Schrodinger, Erwin, 117
science
and attempts to explain life, 116–20
as boring, 118
and elderly in workforce, 253
and evolution of aging, 13
and evolution of scientific discovery, 16–18, 19, 20–23, 119
and mapping human genome, 28
predictions about advances in biological, 263
See also technology; specific scientist or research topic
scientific method, 243
scientists
age of, 262–63
and immortality, 281
interest in aging research of, 269
need for visionary, 289–90
washed-up, 264
See also specific scientist
Scott, Andrew, 230
Scripps Research Institute, 106, 108
seasons analogy, 147
sedentary lifestyle, 78, 103, 141
Sedivy, John, 155
Sehgal, Suren, 120–21
Selesniemi, Kaisa, 298
self-knowledge, 181–86
selfish genes, 11, 12, 49, 82, 154–55
senescence
causes of, 149
deleting/killing of, 151, 153–54, 156, 214
epigenomes/epigenetics and, 61, 150, 152, 155
and evolution, 152–53
function of, 152
Gems research about, 67
and Hydra vulgaris polyp, 54
and long-term well-being, 84
in mice, 150, 152, 153, 154, 155
mutations and, 152
and NAD, 155
“negligible,” 53
and pharmaceuticals, 151, 153–54
premature aging and, 153
protein and, 150
STAC and, 128
and stress, 152
and survival circuit, 151, 152
and technology, 153
TOR gene and, 25
and universal model of life and death, 41
and why we age, 17, 18, 20, 38
See also specific disease
“senomorphic” molecules, 154
sequencing
of DNA, 178, 179, 181, 194, 197, 201, 232, 294
and technology, 181
sequencing machines, 18
SERPINA1 gene, 71
SGS1 (Slow Growth Suppressor 1), 33, 34, 42–43
Shannon, Claude, 22–23, 161–63, 163, 170, 171, 297
sharks, Greenland, 54–55
Sharpe, Arlene, 179
sheep: reprogramming of, 16, 159, 161
“silencing” protein, 5
Sinclair, Alex (son), 57, 144, 189, 218–19, 310
Sinclair, Andrew (father), 141–44, 183–84, 250, 259, 275, 305, 307, 308, 309–10
Sinclair, Ben (son), 304, 307, 309–10
Sinclair, David
accomplishments of, 42–43
and death as a choice, 281–82
family of, 305–6
letters to, 87–88
lifespan for, 307
optimism of, 213–20, 234, 243, 299–300
personal regimen of, 303–7
retirement of, 255
thoughts about life of, 305–6
tour of lab of, 294–98
Sinclair, Diana (mother), 70–71, 72, 79, 141, 183–84, 279
Sinclair, Natalie (daughter), 57, 144, 200–201, 310
Sinclair, Nick (brother), 205, 206, 306, 307
Sinclair/Luikenhuis, Sandra (wife), 111, 133, 143, 144, 189, 200, 281, 300, 302, 305–6, 307, 310
Sir2
and cause of aging, 127–28
functions of, 34, 35, 39, 42, 43, 47–48, 66, 140
and Law of Human Mortality, 69
and mating-type genes, 149
and STACs, 135
and survival circuit, 47–48
and temperature, 111
and why we age, 39
and yeast studies, 34, 35, 39, 149
SIR2 gene
and epigenetic noise, 137
extra copy of, 48
functions of, 34, 41, 43, 45, 48
and naming of sirtuins, 24
and resveratrol, 130
and STACs, 135
See also Sir2
SIRT
functions of, 45
and survival circuit, 45
See also specific enzyme/gene
SIRT1
and attempts to explain life, 118–19
and exercise, 103
functions of, 43
Howitz study of, 128
longevity of, 44
and metformin, 125
ongoing research about, 296
and reversing of aging, 63
See also STAC
SIRT1-6 genes, 43, 45, 103, 108, 126–27, 140, 155
sirtuin genes
and cause of aging, 51
and DAF-16 gene, 56
and diet, 91
discovery of, 127–28
and DNA breaks, 128
and epigenetics, 59, 60, 137–38
exercise and, 103
and expansion of lifespan, 264
functions of, 24–25, 36, 45–47, 129
and genomes, 128
and ICE mice research, 51
as longevity pathway, 129
manipulation of, 25
and metformin, 126
ongoing research about, 298
reprogramming and, 164
resveratrol and, 132
and retrotransposons, 155
and senescence, 155
stress and, 112
and survival circuit, 25, 43, 44, 45–47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 57, 135
and telomeres, 149
and yeast studies, 34–35, 38, 39, 40–41, 42, 43
See also specific researcher
sitting-rising test (SRT), 73
Skerritt, John, 270
skillbaticals, 291
skin cells, 298
skin patches, 189
Smeal, Tod, 42
smoking, 37, 70–72, 79–80, 97, 104, 113, 114, 304
Snow, John, 237
social change: and expansion of lifespan, 219
Social Security, 228–29, 254, 256, 291, 293
sodium nitrite, 114
Sohn, Joel, 297
Southern blot technique, 38, 40
spinal cord injuries, 167, 172, 173
spleen, 205
SRT1720/SRT2104 (STAC), 133
STAC (SIRT1-activating compound), 128, 130–37, 145, 148–49, 296
See also specific STAC
standard of living, 247, 248, 249
See also income; poverty; wealth
Stanford University: cancer research at, 155–56
statins, 78
stem cells
access to, 231
and cause of aging, 51
and epigenetic landscape, 58–59
fertility and, 140
and ICE mice research, 51
ongoing research about, 298
and printing living tissue, 207
reprogramming and, 163–64
and telomeres, 149
and vaccines, 156
sterility, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 69, 91
See also infertility; reproduction
Sterne, Jean, 124
Streisand, Barbra, 161
Streptococcus pneumoniae, 202
Streptomyces hygroscopicus, 120–21, 145
stress
and biosensors/trackers, 188, 190
diet and, 113–14
and epigenetic landscape, 137
and evolution of aging, 26
examples of, 26
NAD and, 137
pharmaceuticals for, 26
and senescence, 152
temperature and, 111
stroke, 77, 95, 124, 132, 193, 279
sugar, 44, 48, 88, 123–24, 188, 190, 304
See also blood sugar
Suh, Yousin, 96–97
suicide, physician-assisted, 280
Sundrop Farms (Australia), 289
supplements, 286, 303, 304–5, 307
See also specific supplement
survival
and “carrying capacity” of planet, 242–43
and consumption, 288
epigenetics importance to, 21–22
and evolution of humans, 220
and longevity pathways, 129
pharmaceuticals and, 146
sirtuins and, 24
See also survival circuit
survival circuit
and amino acids, 101
and “carrying capacity” of planet, 242–43
as cause of aging, 8–13, 45–50, 52
components of, 57
definition of, 44
and DNA damage, 162
and epigenetics, 38, 48–50, 60, 61
evolution of, 23
and evolution of aging, 3–5, 6, 7–8
exercise and, 103
and the future, 214
Information Theory of Aging and, 23–26
metformin and, 126
as overworked, 57
of plants, 131
reverse aging and, 63
sirtuins and, 25, 43, 45–47, 135
and STACs, 133
stress and, 100
and telomeres, 149
universality of, 57
and yeast studies, 35
Suzanne (patient): tracking of, 194
Suzuki, Ichiro, 73
Szilard, Leo, 13–14, 15–16, 20, 23
Tainter, Maurice, 109
tamoxifen, 49–50
Targeting Aging with Metformin (TAME) study, 127
Tatar, Marc, 132
taxes, 232
technology
and “carrying capacity” of planet, 241, 242
and consumption, 283–90
contribution to lifespan of, 89
and diagnosis of disease, 181–86, 199–201, 243
and DNA methyl, 181
doctors and, 176–77
and economic divisions, 233
and elderly in workforce, 251, 253
and evolution of aging, 13
and evolution of scientific discovery, 16–18, 19, 20–23
and expansion of lifespan, 264
funding for development of, 266, 269
genomics and, 186
and life expectancy, 245
and mapping human genome, 28
as natural, 243
optimism about, 209
predictions about, 263
and self-knowledge, 181–86
senescence and, 153
sequencing and, 181
and treatment decisions, 178–80, 181–86
universal access to, 278
See also biosensors/trackers; science; specific technology
telomerase enzyme, 149
telomeres, 17, 18, 30, 38, 52, 84, 102–3, 104, 149
temperature, 26, 105–6, 107, 108–12, 189, 214, 223–24, 304
Thompson, Harriet, 249–50
Thompson, Leonard, 123
Thornton, Janet, 66
Thurmond, Strom, 226–27
Tilly, Jonathan, 140
Toles, Tom, 133
TOR (target of rapamycin) genes, 25, 122–23, 125, 145, 264
See also mTOR enzyme
tracking devices/systems. See biosensors/trackers
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), 162
transplants, 17–18, 78, 121, 164, 205–7, 214, 233
travel: and spread of pathogens, 197
treadmill tracking program, 62–63
treatment
and death as a choice, 278–82
making better decisions about, 176–80
refusing, 282
and technology, 176–80, 181–86
trees: longevity of, 53–54, 56, 57
triglycerides, 191
trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), 99
trimethylglycine, 305
triple-bypass surgery, 78
trust: with medical records, 197–98
tuberculosis, 89
tumors
biosensors/trackers and, 194
and evolution of aging, 5
precision medicine and, 178, 179
and reprogramming, 166, 167, 172, 205–7
See also cancer
twins, 37
ulcerative colitis, 24
UNICEF, 286
United Kingdom
“best way” in, 274
See also London, England
United Nations, 226, 240, 244, 271, 284
United States
average lifespan in, 277
“best way” in, 274
funding for health care in, 276
and Human Capital Index, 275
inadequacy of health care in, 276–77
and treatment as a right, 276–77
See also specific topic
Université Laval, 108
University of Cincinnati: biosensors/trackers studies at, 188
University of Pennsylvania: Wharton School at, 290, 291
vaccines, 82, 122, 148, 155–58, 173–74, 202–4, 214, 238, 300, 301
valine, 101
Van Remmen, Holly, 15
Vecitibix, 183
vegetarians, 101–2
Vera, Daniel, 295
video home visits by doctors, 186
viruses, 135, 155, 166, 196, 296
vision
and blood sugar, 124
and corneal transplants, 206
and diet, 94
ongoing research about, 294, 297
and reprogramming, 164–65, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171–72, 173
treatment for, 18
See also cataracts; macular degeneration
“vitality genes,” 23–26
vitamin A, 286
vitamin B, 119
vitamin B12, 37
vitamin C, 173
vitamin D, 304
vitamin K2, 304
Vitrakvi, 184
Vogt, Peter, 9
volunteers
community, 259
for experiments, 173
See also organ donors
Wada, Juro, 206
Waddington, Conrad H., 21, 58–59, 61, 63, 138, 165, 166
Wagers, Amy, 298
wait time: for doctors, 185–86
Walford, Roy, 92–93
See also consumption
water, consumption of, 284, 288
See also income; poverty; standard of living
See also obesity
Werner, Otto, 83
Werner syndrome, 32–34, 42–43, 83
WeWork, 284
Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania), 290, 291
whooping cough, 203
why we age, 12–13
Wilson, Edward O., 241
Wnt, 167
work/workforce
age discrimination in, 251–53, 254, 258–59
automation and, 254
and concern about the future, 293
and five-day work week, 290
and funding for aging, 269
reentry into, 258–59
rethinking about, 290–92
and skillbaticals, 291
See also retirement
World Health Organization, 68, 124, 196, 221, 224, 277, 285–86, 302–3
worms
and as precursors of human experiments, 141
and reprogramming, 173
See also roundworms
wounds, 74–75, 124, 132, 165, 297
wrinkles, 32, 37, 38, 73, 79, 82, 94, 165, 300
Wu, Lindsay, 297
Wyss-Coray, Tony, 299
X chromosome, 183
X factors, 307
xenohormesis, 131
xenotransplantation, 206–7
Xiao Tian, 296–97
Yamanaka factors, 164, 165, 166, 167, 169, 172
Yamanaka, Shinya, 163–64
Yang, Jae-Hyun, 296
Yang, Luhan, 206–7
Yankner, Bruce, 298
yeast
aging in, 29–35, 38, 39, 40–44
calorie-restricted, 130–31
cause of aging in, 127–28
DAF-16 genes in, 56
death of, 69
and diet, 91
DNA and, 30–35, 38, 39, 40–44, 152
early studies about, 24, 29–35, 38, 40–44, 91, 111, 127–28
and epigenetics, 38
and hallmarks of aging, 43
lessons from studies of, 39
measuring aging in, 130
as precursors for human experiments, 141
rapamycin and, 121
and retrotransposons, 155
and sequencing of yeast genome, 32
and sirtuins, 24, 34–35, 38, 39, 40–41, 43
and sugar, 44
survival circuit and, 35, 45, 47, 48
universal regulators of aging in, 147
and why we age, 39
See also specific researcher or topic
YouGov, 247
youthfulness: prolonged, 265
Yuancheng Lu, 167–69, 171, 296
Zhang, Kang, 52
Zhigang He, 169
Zika virus, 196
zombie cells. See senescence