The certainty of aging and death is a major concern of humans with a consequent endless
search for methods to contract aging's effects and delay death as long as possible.
Charlatans may take advantage of the wish of people to live longer, proposing miraculous,
unproven, and profitable antiaging products. Conversely, key advances in the understanding
of the mechanism(s) behind the biology of aging and the increase in human life expectancy
during the 20th century worldwide, make it possible that postponing natural death
may indeed be plausible. Prolongation of life expectancy with disability is an empty
prize. Interventions that prolong not only life span but also health span involve
lifestyle strategies, as well as diagnosis of diseases at an early stage and appropriate
use of advanced medical care.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 02, 2010
Footnotes
Dr. Dominguez has no conflict of interest. Dr. Morley acknowledges affiliations with Mattern Pharmaceuticals, Edunn Biotech, and Danone.
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 American Medical Directors Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
