#64 – Medical Breakthroughs and Aging

Let me start with a bit of context, or perhaps better described as managing expectations.

When the personal computer, and the internet, first became affordable/accessible, there was major hype about how this was going to 1.) make life much better, 2.) make life much easier, 3.) solve so many of life’s problems, 4.) eliminate the need for paper documents, and provide so many more benefits to the world. While it certainly has brought many great benefits and made so many of life’s processes easier, I’m not sure who will argue that it’s made life easier or solved so many of life’s challenges. And I don’t recall much attention given to the downside(s) of life online.

And it’s certainly brought more entertainment, for better and worse.

Likewise, we’re learning that Artificial Intelligence (AI) may not be so quick to make the world better. At this point there’s legitimate questioning as to whether the benefits of AI will outweigh the negatives (although that’s true for many disrupting technologies during early developmental stages).

So when the media highlights another disrupting breakthrough, making amazing predictions- like the reference highlighted below- make sure you apply some critical thinking to the subject so that any hype can be more realistically understood for what it is.

Earlier posts (14, 38, 46, 59) made indirect references to the future of medicine and life longevity, but this post, and its primary reference, addresses the subject head on. Despite the potential for exaggerated claims, it’s absolutely worth our looking at what’s going on in the medical world with respect to life longevity.

I am almost through reading a book titled The Great Age Reboot by Dr. Michael Roizen. The associated website link is listed below. Early in the book I sensed more hype than substance, but that feeling disappeared as I got further into the content. The book introduces efforts in a number of medical research fronts such as:

  • Tissue regeneration
  • Converting white fat (bad stuff) into brown fat (good stuff)
  • Plaque busting
  • Genetic self-engineering*
  • Senolytics – The process of removing senescent cells (cells that have permanently stopped dividing)
  • Restoring Autophagy – the process that allows your body to break down and reuse old cell parts so your cells can operate more efficiently (this process deteriorates as one ages).
  • Artificial bolstering of organs
  • Gene editing

I’m not one to spend much time taking in medical/biological information, but this book has my full attention. Its main message is that we are on the verge of some incredible medical research breakthroughs which will build upon each other, and has the real potential of holistically increasing human life longevity. The holistic aspect is important: there’s no sense in extending life expectancy 10-20 years, or more, if your mobility is still impaired, if your bones are still weak, you still require someone to assist you with life’s daily functions, or you’re still suffering from Dementia.

*(July 13, 2024 update from the Economist. The International Society for Stem Cell Research’s (ISSCR) annual conference….has showcased the best of this rapidly advancing (Stem Cell research) field. A big focus has been miniature model organs made of stem cells, called organoids, which could someday be implanted to heal or even replace sick organs. In clinical trials, organoids already let doctors test drugs on patients outside their bodies. Embryo models, or embryoids, are now taking a turn in the spotlight.” This field is accompanied by a parallel debate on the morality of stem cell research.)

The Great Age Reboot also brings considerable attention to healthy living habits and choices we make, and how they impact the effectiveness of any potential medical breakthroughs.

The book comes across as real value-added and worth the time to read. The associated website is clearly marketing- that doesn’t mean it’s empty hype, but it does require your critical thinking skills to determine whether it’s worth spending your time there.

https://www.greatagereboot.com/

One related article:

(June 2024 update. OK, as it turns out, this article below is now only available with a subscription to Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, etc. So I’m now looking for a more current article that does an excellent job of looking into financial planning issues for life beyond 100…as a starting point. If you find one, feel free to send me the link. And as I see this post is almost 18 months old, that tells me it’s a good time to do a bit more research to do a full update on the subject- add that to my growing list of blog post ideas….)

https://www.barrons.com/articles/retirement-savings-longer-life-spans-51675978423?mod=past_editions