Aging and What Can Be Done to Slow It Down

 

When cells age, they function with difficulty. Over time, old cells will die, which is normal for the body to function. Many cells die because they are programmed to do so. Their genes have a process that, when activated, causes cell death. This programmed death, called apoptosis, is a type of cellular suicide. The age of the cell is a trigger for this process. Old cells must die to make room for new ones. Other triggers include excess cells, and probably also cell damage. When the functions of non-coding DNA are understood, this programming can be changed.

Old cells also die because they can only divide a limited number of times. This limit is programmed by genes. When a cell can no longer divide, it enlarges and survives for a time, but then dies.

The mechanism that limits cell division is related to a structure called the telomere. Telomeres have the function of moving the genetic material of the cell that is preparing for cell division. Every time a cell divides, telomeres shorten a little. Over time, telomeres become so short that the cell can no longer divide. The term senescence refers to the point at which a cell stops dividing.

Sometimes injury to cells directly causes their death. Cells can be injured by harmful substances, such as radiation, sunlight, and chemotherapy drugs. Also by certain byproducts that result from a cell's own normal activities. These products, called free radicals, are released when cells produce energy.

In this report we'll look at what diseases, and not aging, are the cause of most functional loss.

The proper functioning of organs depends on the proper functioning of their cells. Old cells function worse. Furthermore, in some organs, cells die and are not replaced; therefore, the number of cells decreases.

The number of cells in the testicles, ovaries, liver and kidneys decreases markedly with age. When the number of cells becomes too low, the organ does not function normally. Therefore, most organs function worse with age. However, not all organs lose the same number of cells.

The brain, for example, does not lose as many cells. Healthy older people do not lose many neurons. Substantial losses occur primarily in people who have had a stroke or who suffer from a disorder that causes progressive loss of neurons (neurodegenerative disorders), such as Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease.

Deterioration of the function of one organ due to disease or aging itself can affect the function of another organ. For example, if atherosclerosis narrows the blood vessels in the kidneys, the kidneys will function less well due to reduced blood flow.

Often, the first signs of aging affect the musculoskeletal system. The eyes, followed by the ears, begin to change in early adulthood. Most internal functions also decline with age. Most bodily functions reach their highest value shortly before age 30, and from then on a gradual but constant decline begins.

Although most functions remain adequate, decreased function means that older people are less able to manage different types of stress, including strenuous physical activity, extreme changes in environmental temperature, and illness. This decline also means that older people are more likely to suffer from medication side effects.

Some organs are more likely to function improperly under stress than others. Such organs include the heart and blood vessels, urinary organs (such as the kidneys), and the brain.

Bones tend to become less dense. Moderate loss of bone density is called osteopenia and severe loss (including the development of a fracture due to loss of bond density) is called osteoporosis. With osteoporosis, the bones are also weaker and more likely to fracture.

In women, bone density loss increases after menopause because less estrogen is produced, which helps prevent excessive bone destruction during the normal process of bone formation, resorption and remodeling.

Changes in the vertebrae at the top of the spine cause the head to tilt forward, compressing the throat. As a result, it is more difficult to swallow, and choking is more likely. The vertebrae become less dense, and the pads of tissue (discs) between them lose fluid and become thin, causing the spine to shorten. Therefore, the height of elderly people decreases.

The cartilage that lines the joints also becomes thinner, partly from the wear and tear caused by years of movement. The surfaces of a joint may not slide over each other as well as they did before, and the joint may be slightly more prone to injury. Injuries due to repeated trauma or lifelong use of the joints often lead to osteoarthritis, one of the most common disorders of old age.

Ligaments, which join joints, and tendons, which attach muscles to bones, become less elastic, making joints feel stiff or hard. These tissues also become weak. Consequently, most people lose flexibility. Ligaments and tendons tend to tear more easily, and when they do, they heal more slowly. These changes occur because the cells that repair ligaments and tendons become less active, but again, this can be modified by genetic reprogramming.

The amount of muscle tissue (muscle mass) and muscle strength tend to decrease after approximately the age of 30. This decrease continues throughout life. Part of this reduction is caused by physical inactivity and decreased concentrations of growth hormone and testosterone, which stimulate muscle development. Additionally, muscles do not contract as quickly because more fast-twitching muscle fibers are lost than slow-twitching muscle fibers.

However, the effects of aging do not reduce muscle mass and strength by more than approximately 10 to 15% during adult life. In the absence of disease, most loss beyond that 10 to 15% can be prevented with regular exercise. More severe muscle loss (called sarcopenia, which literally means loss of flesh) is the result of illness or extreme inactivity, not age itself.

Most older people maintain sufficient muscle mass and power to perform all basic activities. Many older people remain athletic, competing in sports and enjoying physical activities that require effort. However, even those in the best shape notice a certain decline as they age.

Regular physical exercise (resistance training) can partially improve or at least significantly delay the loss of muscle mass and power. Muscle strengthening exercises are based on muscle contraction to counteract the force of gravity (as in abdominal exercises and push-ups), working with weights or elastic bands. If this type of exercise is performed regularly, even people who have never exercised can increase muscle mass and power.

On the contrary, physical inactivity, especially bed rest during an illness, can significantly increase the loss of muscle mass. During periods of inactivity, older people lose muscle mass and strength much more quickly than younger people. For example, to recover the lost muscle mass, the person in question needs to exercise for 2 weeks for each day they have been in bed.

By age 75, body fat percentage usually doubles compared to that of adolescence. Excess body fat can increase the risk of health problems, such as diabetes. Fat distribution also changes, causing changes in the shape of the torso. A healthy eating regimen and physical exercise can help older people minimize body fat gain.

The loss of near vision is noticeable between the ages of 40 and 50, with most people finding it difficult to see objects closer than 60 cm. This change in vision, called presbyopia, occurs because the lens becomes rigid. Normally, the lens changes its shape to help the eyes focus; Therefore, a rigid lens makes it more difficult to focus on close-up objects. After a while, almost everyone suffers from presbyopia and needs magnifying glasses to read. People who also use glasses to see distant objects may need bifocal or variable focus glasses.

As we age, vision in semi-dark conditions becomes more difficult because the lens tends to become less transparent. The increase in the density of the lens means that less light enters through the retina to the back of the eye. Additionally, the retina, which contains cells that perceive light, becomes less sensitive. Therefore, a more intense light is necessary to be able to read. On average, 60-year-olds need three times more light than 20-year-olds to read.

Colors are perceived differently, in part because retinas tend to turn yellow with aging. Colors may appear less bright, and contrasts between different colors may be harder to see; blues may appear grayer, and blue letters or backgrounds may appear washed out. These changes are insignificant for most people. However, older people may have trouble reading text printed in black on a blue background or reading blue letters.

With age, the pupil reacts more slowly to changes in light. Light enters the eye through the pupil, which dilates or shrinks to allow more or less light to pass through. Consequently, elderly people may not be able to see when they enter a dark room, or may be temporarily blinded when entering an area with bright lighting. Such people also tend to be more sensitive to glare. However, the increased tendency to glare is usually due to eye disorders, such as cataracts.

Older people may see small dark spots moving across their field of vision. These spots, called floaters, are small amounts of the normal fluid inside the eye that have solidified. Floaters do not significantly interfere with vision. Unless they suddenly increase in number, they are not a cause for concern.

The eyes tend to dry out. This change occurs because the number of cells that produce lubricating fluids in the eyes decreases. Tear production may decrease. A gray-white ring (senile arc) may appear on the surface of the eye. The ring is made up of calcium and cholesterol salts. It does not affect vision.

The lower eyelid may protrude from the eyeball because the muscles that close the eyes tend to weaken and the tendons become stretched. This condition of the eyelid (called ectropion) can interfere with the lubrication of the eyeball and contribute to dry eyes. It can give the impression that the eyes are sinking into the skull because the amount of fat in the area around them decreases.

Over time, exposure to loud noise impairs the hearing ability of the ears, although some hearing changes occur over time regardless of whether people have been exposed to loud noise. As people age, it becomes increasingly difficult to hear high-pitched sounds (high-frequency vibrations). This change is considered age-related hearing loss (presbycusis). For example, violin music may sound less clear.

The most frustrating consequence of presbycusis is that words are more difficult to understand. As a result, sometimes the elderly person believes that their interlocutor is mumbling. Even when spoken to louder, older people may still have difficulty understanding words. The reason is that most consonants are high-pitched sounds, and consonants are the sounds that help identify words. Since vowels are low sounds, they are easier to hear. It is for this reason that elderly people suffer from hearing impairment.

To make it easier for them to listen, their interlocutors should articulate consonants more clearly instead of simply speaking louder. It can be more difficult to understand what women and children say than what men say, because most women and children have higher pitched voices than men. Gradually, listening to lower tones also becomes more difficult.

Generally, when people reach age 50, their senses of taste and smell begin to gradually decline. Both senses are necessary to taste the full range of tastes in foods. With age, the sensitivity of the taste receptors located on the tongue decreases. These modifications tend to reduce the ability to perceive sweet and salty flavors more than bitter or acidic ones.

Smell only decreases slightly as the lining of the nose becomes thin and dry and the nerve endings in the nose deteriorate. However, the change is small, and usually affects only subtle odors. Consequently, the majority of foods tend to taste more bitter, and foods with subtle odors may be more tasteless.

The mouth feels dry more often, partly because less saliva is produced. Additionally, dry mouth reduces the ability to taste food.

As you age, your gums recede slightly, leaving the lower parts of your teeth exposed to food particles and bacteria. Additionally, tooth enamel tends to erode. These changes, as well as dry mouth, make teeth more prone to decay and the formation of cavities, which increases the likelihood of losing teeth.

With aging, the nose tends to become longer and larger, and the tip tends to slant. Coarse hairs may grow on the nose, upper lip, and chin.

The skin becomes thinner, less elastic, drier, and forms fine wrinkles. However, exposure to sunlight for years also contributes a lot to the formation of wrinkles and rough, blotchy skin. Often, people who have avoided exposure to sunlight look much younger.

The skin changes in part because collagen (a strong fibrous tissue that strengthens the skin) and elastin (which makes it flexible) are chemically transformed and become less flexible. Additionally, the aging body produces less collagen and elastin. As a result, the skin tears more easily.

The subcutaneous fat layer decreases. This layer acts as a cushion for the skin, protecting and supporting it, and also helps conserve body heat. As this layer shrinks, the skin is more easily injured, wrinkles are more likely to appear, and cold tolerance decreases.

The number of nerve endings in the skin also decreases. As a result, people become more sensitive to pain, temperature and pressure, and more injuries may occur. The number of sweat glands and blood vessels is also reduced and blood flow in the deep layers of the skin decreases. Normally, heat moves from inside the body, through blood vessels, to the surface. The amount of heat leaving the body is less and the body cannot cool down properly. Thus, older people are more likely to suffer from disorders due to excess heat, such as heat stroke. The skin also tends to heal more slowly when blood flow is less.

The number of cells that produce melanin (melanocytes) decreases. Consequently, the skin is less protected against ultraviolet (UV) rays, such as those from sunlight. Wide brown spots (age spots) appear on skin exposed to sunlight, probably because the skin has, at this stage of life, less ability to eliminate waste products.

The skin loses some of its ability to synthesize vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. As a result, the risk of vitamin D deficiency, so important for vital functions, increases.

With age, the number of nerve cells in the brain decreases. However, the brain can compensate for this loss in several ways. When cells are lost, new connections are established between the remaining neurons. New neurons can also form in some areas of the brain, even during old age. The brain has more neurons than it needs to perform most activities, a characteristic called redundancy. Changes occur in the levels of chemical substances that act as messengers in the brain; most tend to decrease but some increase. Nerve cells can lose some of their receptors for these chemical messages. Blood supply to the brain decreases. Because of these age-related changes, the brain may function slightly worse. Older people react and perform tasks more slowly, but if given time they perform these tasks correctly.

After the age of 60, the number of cells in the spinal cord begins to decrease, but generally this change does not affect strength or sensitivity. The heart and blood vessels become stiffer. The heart fills with blood more slowly. The arteries become less able to respond to changes in the amount of blood passing through them and, consequently, blood pressure is usually higher. Despite such changes, a normal elderly heart functions well.

The differences between a young heart and an old one become evident when the heart needs to work harder and pump more blood, as happens when a person performs intense physical activity or when they are sick. An older heart cannot beat as quickly or pump as fast or as much blood as a young heart. Thus, older athletes do not have as much capacity to adapt as young ones. However, regular aerobic exercise can increase performance in older people.

The muscles used in breathing, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles, tend to weaken. The number of alveoli and pulmonary capillaries decreases; therefore, slightly less oxygen is absorbed from the air breathed. The lungs become less elastic. In people who do not smoke or do not have a lung condition, these changes do not affect daily activities of living, but they can make physical activity more difficult. Breathing at high altitudes (where there is less oxygen) can also be more difficult.

The lungs become less able to fight infections, in part because the cells responsible for removing waste containing microorganisms from the airways lose some of their functional capacity. The cough, which also helps clear the lungs, is usually weaker.

In general, aging affects the digestive system less than most of the rest of the body. The esophageal muscles contract less strength, but the mobility of food in the esophagus is not affected. Food is eliminated more slowly by the stomach, which also cannot retain large amounts of food since it is less elastic. But in most people, these changes are so slight that they are not noticeable.

Certain changes can cause alterations in some older people. The digestive tract produces a smaller amount of lactase, an enzyme that the body needs to digest milk. As a result, older people are more likely to be intolerant to dairy products (lactose intolerance). People with lactose intolerance may feel bloated or have gas or diarrhea after consuming dairy products.

In the large intestine, materials move somewhat more slowly, which in some people contributes to constipation.

The liver tends to shrink in size, as the number of cells decreases and less blood flows through it. The enzymes that help the body process drugs and other substances (metabolism) are not as efficient, so the liver may be slightly less able to remove drugs and other substances from the body. Consequently, the effects of drugs, whether intentional or not, last longer. As we age, the kidneys often shrink in size as the number of cells decreases. After the age of 30, the kidneys begin to filter blood less efficiently.

As we age, waste from the blood is not removed as well, and it can also remove too much water, making dehydration more likely. However, it almost always work well enough to meet the body's needs.

The urinary system is modified in different ways that can make it more difficult to control urination. The maximum volume of urine that the bladder can hold decreases. Thus, older people usually need to urinate more often.

The bladder muscles may sporadically contract (become overactive), regardless of the need to urinate. The bladder muscles become weak. As a result, a larger amount of urine remains inside the bladder after urination.

The muscle that controls the passage of urine outside the body (urinary sphincter) loses its ability to close correctly and prevent leaks. For this reason, older people have more difficulty postponing urination. These changes explain, at least in part, why urinary incontinence (uncontrollable loss of urine) becomes more common with age.

In women, the urethra (the tube through which urine leaves the body) becomes shorter, and its lining becomes thinner. The decrease in estrogen levels that occurs with menopause may contribute to this and other changes in the urinary tract.

In men, the prostate tends to increase in size. In many men it grows large enough to interfere with the passage of urine and prevent the bladder from emptying completely. As a result, older men tend to urinate less forcefully, take longer to start the urine stream, dribble urine at the end of urination, and urinate more often. Older men are also more likely to be unable to urinate despite having a full bladder (urinary retention). This disorder requires medical attention.

The effects of aging on sex hormone levels are more evident in women than in men. In women, most of these effects are related to menopause, when levels of female hormones (especially estrogen) decrease drastically, menstruation ceases permanently and pregnancy is no longer possible. Decreased levels of female hormones cause reduced dimensions of the ovaries and uterus. The tissues of the vagina become thinner, drier, and less elastic (a condition called atrophic vaginitis). In severe cases, these changes can lead to itching, bleeding, pain during intercourse, and the need to urinate immediately (urinary urgency).

The breasts become less firm and more fibrous, so they tend to lose their turgidity. These changes make it difficult to locate breast lumps.

Some of the changes that begin with menopause (such as lower hormone concentrations and vaginal dryness) can affect sexual activity. However, in most women, aging does not significantly affect sexual activity. Not having to worry about getting pregnant can increase sexual activity and pleasure.

In men, changes in sex hormone levels are less abrupt. Testosterone (the male sex hormone) levels decrease, leading to lower sperm production and decreased sexual desire (libido). However, this decrease is gradual. Although blood flow to the penis tends to decrease, most men can have erections and orgasms throughout their lives. However, erections may not last as long, be somewhat less rigid, or require more stimulation to maintain. A second erection may take longer. Erectile dysfunction (impotence) becomes more common as a man ages and is usually due to a disorder, usually a disorder that affects the blood vessels (such as vascular disease) or diabetes.

The amount of active bone marrow (where blood cells are produced) decreases, so fewer of these cells are generated. However, the bone marrow can usually produce a sufficient number of blood cells throughout life. Problems appear when the need for blood cells increases, such as when you suffer from anemia. or an infection or when bleeding occurs. In such cases, the bone marrow is less able to increase its production of blood cells in response to the body's needs.

The cells of the immune system act more slowly. These cells identify and destroy foreign substances such as bacteria, other infectious microbes, and possibly cancer cells. This slowing of the immune system could explain some changes or disorders associated with aging and that they cause in elderly people.

As we can see, with a simple reprogramming, our functions would no longer be diminished over the years. If string theory is real, the frequency of sound waves can stop the deterioration caused by inadequate reproduction of cells.

On the other hand, the activation of non-coding DNA could take the human to his initial bodily state, that is, the one mentioned in most religions as the “state before the fall.”

by Antonia María Rovayo Martínez in NIKOLA TESLA-GEORGES LAKHOVSKY: CELLULAR REGENERATION, pp 32-47

• Research indicates that sound waves can influence cellular processes, potentially mitigating deterioration linked to impaired cell reproduction. Low-frequency ultrasound therapy has been shown to reverse cellular aging by reactivating senescent cells—cells that have stopped dividing and contribute to tissue dysfunction—effectively restarting their division cycle and improving cellular function. In experiments, human skin cells treated with low-frequency ultrasound (less than 100 kilohertz) continued dividing beyond their typical limit of 15 divisions, reaching 24 divisions without abnormalities. This suggests a potential to counteract age-related cellular decline.

• Furthermore, sound waves can modulate gene expression and cellular behavior in ways that may prevent or reverse deterioration. A study from Kyoto University demonstrated that audible sound waves, such as a 440 Hz tone, can suppress the development of fat cells by altering gene activity, including the activation of the Ptgs2/Cox-2 gene, which influences cell differentiation and inflammation. This effect occurs through the physical stimulation of focal adhesions—cellular structures that sense mechanical forces—triggering a signaling cascade that changes cell fate. Similarly, surface acoustic waves (SAWs) have been used to enhance cell migration and proliferation in vitro, significantly accelerating wound-healing processes without increasing cellular stress.

• These findings suggest that sound waves, through mechanical stimulation, can influence cell behavior at the molecular level, potentially restoring or maintaining cellular function in contexts where reproduction is inadequate. While most studies are still in early stages and conducted in cell cultures or animal models, the results open promising avenues for non-invasive therapies targeting cellular deterioration.

• The activation of non-coding DNA refers to the process by which regions previously thought to be inert are engaged in critical cellular functions, primarily the regulation of gene expression. Non-coding DNA is not merely "junk" but contains essential regulatory elements that control when, where, and how much a gene is expressed. ….generated by Brave AI....

Can the activation of non-coding DNA affect health and slow aging?

It is well established that changes in genes can alter a protein’s function in the body, potentially causing health problems. Scientists have determined that changes in regions of DNA that do not contain genes (non-coding DNA) can also lead to disease.

Many regions of non-coding DNA play a role in the control of gene activity, meaning they help determine when and where certain genes are turned on or off. Other regions of non-coding DNA are important for protein assembly. By altering one of these regions, a variant (also known as a mutation) in non-coding DNA can turn on a gene and cause a protein to be produced in the wrong place or at the wrong time. Alternatively, a variant can reduce or eliminate the production of an important protein when it is needed. Not all changes in non-coding DNA have an impact on health, but those that alter the pattern of a critical protein can disrupt normal development or cause a health problem.

Variants in non-coding DNA have been linked to several types of cancer and developmental disorders such as isolated Pierre Robin sequence. This condition is caused by changes in regions of non-coding DNA that act as enhancer elements. Enhancers attach proteins that help turn on particular genes. The enhancers altered in isolated Pierre-Robin sequence control the activity of the SOX9 gene.

In addition to enhancer elements, variants in non-coding DNA can disrupt other regulatory elements. These other elements include promoters, where proteins that turn on genes attach; insulators, where proteins that help shape the activity of genes in different ways attach; and silencers, where proteins that turn off genes attach.

Some regions of non-coding DNA provide instructions for making certain kinds of RNA molecules that play roles in regulating gene activity or assembling proteins. Variants that interrupt these functional RNA molecules, such as transfer RNAs, microRNAs, or long non-coding RNAs, have also been implicated in disease.

The same types of genetic changes that occur in genes or that alter the structure of chromosomes can affect health and development when they occur in non-coding DNA. These alterations include changes in single DNA building blocks (substitution variants), insertions, deletions, duplications, and translocations. non-coding DNA variants can be inherited from a parent or acquired during a person’s life.

Much is still unknown about how to identify regions of non-coding DNA that have a function in cells and the roles such regions play. As a result, linking genetic changes in non-coding DNA to their effects on certain genes and to health conditions is difficult. The roles of non-coding DNA and the effects that genetic changes in non-coding DNA have on the body are growing areas of research.

from medlineplus.gov