Would you like to live 150 years?

[Captain Crieff]

A 'red wine' pill that means we can live to 150 years old, a blood test for Alzheimer's and the taboo around ageing

 

Humans could live to 150, as scientists develop new drugs to combat ageing which could be made available within five years, the Daily Mail reports. The new drugs are synthetic versions of resveratrol, found in red wine and believed to have an anti-ageing effect.

 

Research has shown that a single anti-ageing enzyme in the body can be targeted, with the potential to prevent age-related diseases and extend the years of life. Genetics professor David Sinclair, based at Harvard University, said: ‘Ultimately, these drugs would treat one disease, but unlike drugs of today, they would prevent 20 others. In effect, they would slow ageing.’

 

In another potential advance in anti-ageing, Alzheimer’s disease could be diagnosed in its earliest stages, thanks to a blood test developed by researchers reports the BBC.

 

The test works by looking for proteins strongly linked with Alzheimer’s disease, such as amyloid and APOE were added, as well as proteins related to inflammation - to increase the power of the test. Researchers from the University of Nottingham told delegates at the Alzheimer’s Research UK conference the test would be quick and easy to do in clinics which could mean much earlier diagnosis and better treatments.

 

Professor Kevin Morgan from the University of Nottingham said: ‘Our findings are exciting because they show that it is technically possible to distinguish between healthy people and those with Alzheimer’s using a blood test.’

 

The news of leaps and bounds in the treatment of age-related disease comes with a warning in the Daily Telegraph that there is still a taboo around ageing.

 

A coalition of experts led by former care services minister Paul Burstow said that an ‘unwillingness’ to face up to old age threatens to condemn the newly retired to spend their final years in institutions or in isolation. In a letter to the paper, the experts said the belief that people should be ‘young forever’ could turn the elderly into ‘passive victims’ unable to choose where they should spend their retirement.

 

The group, including the heads of 13 charities and private companies providing housing for the elderly, said that ‘to the nation’s shame’ many older people are left with the choice between staying in the family home despite loneliness or moving to an institution to spend their final years.

 

link: http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/daily-digest/a-red-wine-pill-that-means-we-can-live-to-150-years-old-a-blood-test-for-alzheimers-and-the-taboo-around-ageing/20002215.article#.UT4SeBw9lEU

[James.]

Sure, as long as it doesn't come with horrible side effects like that Doctor Who episode The Lazarus Experiment :sick:

[Captain Crieff]

I've never watched Doctor Who, but indeed, as long as there are no weird side effects and if I could live happy and healthy for 150 years, I would take that pill :D

[The Final Track]

I heard somewhere that the first person to be 200 years old is probably already born :surprised:

In reference to the thread title, I wouldn't want to live 150 years if noone else I knew did. The thought of sitting alone after all your friends and family have died in a time that's so different to your own youth and adulthood is just depressing. And even if you were healthy it's a horribly long time.

[The Doctor]

Sure, as long as it doesn't come with horrible side effects like that Doctor Who episode The Lazarus Experiment :sick:

 

Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty. It's not the time that matters, it's the person.

 

if it's like that episode, no thank you please

I remember what happened with that technology later that series

 

if it's real, no thank you

see that quote I posted there? it's true, and even if I keep healthy and clear-minded I think it's just horrible

knowing that your body ages and you can't do everything anymore, such a horrible thought

Even though you can see the world evolve and so many new things that will come.

No thanks, I'm happy with the life I have and I will enjoy it as long as I live, no matter how long/short it is.

[Cyan Kat]

I'm really not sure I would want to live that long, especially seen as how shitty the world will probably be :awesome:

[Coeurli]

I heard somewhere that the first person to be 200 years old is probably already born :surprised:

In reference to the thread title, I wouldn't want to live 150 years if noone else I knew did. The thought of sitting alone after all your friends and family have died in a time that's so different to your own youth and adulthood is just depressing. And even if you were healthy it's a horribly long time.

I'm really not sure I would want to live that long, especially seen as how shitty the world will probably be :awesome:

:nod:

 

This reminds me of a French song, Et dans 150 ans, by the singer Raphael. It's a lovely song about love and life and it basically says "and in 150 years, we won't remember [lots of things that he lists during the song]...so smile" and it ends with :

"But there's nothing more to say, i don't want to make you believe in anything

My love, my love, I'll miss you so much

But what do you want"

 

:wacky::cry::wacky:

 

 

 

[chuck kottke]

I keep thinking of that Carol Burnette Show skit where Tim Conway is the 100-year-old man. :laugh3: I know, maybe one could be healthy and spry at 100, but I'm sitting here with Edison just a few feet away, and he is lonely! Clearly, he needs the comfort of another 100-year-old, so hopefully if this happens, it will yield more people in the same age bracket, so they have company and something familiar to talk about.

[Lodder]

As long as I stay healthy, I'd say yes :D

[Matter-Eater Lad]

Not with this shitty life. 50 years will be too much for me.

[The Baron]

That news article seems highly sensationalist, that said it really doesn't matter how long you live eventually you'll be dead just like everyone else. And by the time you got that old you'd look like a living corpse.

[Batman]

hell naw!

[Mollyxyloto]

Hmmm, some things are just meant to be left, I think scientists try and control everything too much.

[Captain Crieff]

That news article seems highly sensationalist, that said it really doesn't matter how long you live eventually you'll be dead just like everyone else. And by the time you got that old you'd look like a living corpse.

 

You wouldn't look like a living corpse, the pill would slow ageing. So that means that when you're 70, you're in fact 40.

 

But I agree with what Molly said, the overpopulation problem would get really immense.

[The Doctor]

^we're already with more than 7 billion people here

I'm not sure earth can handle 12 billion

[The Final Track]

I'm sure Earth can handle 12 billion, we just need to do a better job at distributing and sharing resources. An unbelievable amount of food and water is wasted. We also have to stop postponing the enviromental issue, cause Earth won't be able to handle 12 billion people living like we are today.

[Prince Myshkin]

I'm sure Earth can handle 12 billion, we just need to do a better job at distributing and sharing resources. An unbelievable amount of food and water is wasted. We also have to stop postponing the enviromental issue, cause Earth won't be able to handle 12 billion people living like we are today.

 

Indeed. The problem isn't the numbers it's the way we behave.

 

The problem with democracy (though democracy is the best way) is that it doesn't put an emphasis on long term plans. If you're in a society where a government can be kicked out after four years and the emphasis is on power and control rather than representation of the voter then you get a lot of quick fixes implemented and less agreement across political parties (it's in their interest to disagree with each other so as to create a reason to receive votes over other parties). This holds up meaningful change unless the voter demands it.

 

It's like we are walking towards gradual obliteration but simply ignoring it and concentrating on right now. You can't do that as a species if you want to be around for a considerable amount of time whilst having the potential to do all that damage.

 

Ideally politics will change and people will be educated more and demand greater representation and then democracy won't prove to be so restrictive in this area. We need to evolve into a system where people are pulling in the same direction for certain issues.

[Prince Myshkin]

As for the thread question, I would like to, but I'd want it for plenty of others around me and I'd want to be in a state where I was in control of my mind and body.

[Coldplay]

I'm really not sure if I wanna grow that old. The idea of getting old scares me, just seems to me like you would feel less free and welcome in this world. Of course there are old people out there who are so healthy and fresh-faced and full of so much energy -- but still it's frowned upon to have many of the freedoms that young people get to have.

 

On the other hand, if I keep myself in good health, I could achieve so much... see so much that the world has to offer, I could see my great-grandchildren, and have time to make lots of more friends, and have lots of more stories to tell...

 

I wouldn't really be devastated if everyone I knew passed, however strange that might sound. It's not like I don't care about them, I really love my family and friends, but life is all about change and losing things and I'm sure you can adapt and meet some new people. There are billions of people on the planet and surely some of them would start to care a lot about you and be friends with you.

 

It's not like life isn't worth living anymore just because you start to lose attachment of the tiny world of the street you live on, the people you know, etc. It's sort of like passing on from childhood to adulthood again, I imagine. It's like a new sense of growing up.

 

So yeah I'm not sure if I want to live very long, but I'm curious and it's worth a shot. I think I might prefer growing old because with dying relatively young, you won't ever get a chance to change your mind.

[nvdmm]

nope 150 is way too long. lifes pretty miserable as it is so i cant imagine living for that long. 80 would be alright

[Chloe's Dreams]

If I'd be healthy and have a smooth skin, why not?