Sunday, April 13, 2008

Cynthia Kenyon link

Here is a link to an interview with Cynthia Kenyon, published in New Scientitst back in 2003. It's subscription only now and though I've got a copy on my hard drive it might be better if I just direct you to a site where someone called James Hughes will provide the text!

She is heavily committed to finding a life extending drug. To me, personally, this will run smack bang in to the Law of Unintended Consequences head on. Lowering insulin by diet choices, as she currently practices, seems to be the best plan for a reduction in the diseases old age. (Peter crosses fingers).

Peter

8 comments:

.^ said...

Apart from the Unintended Consequences (and I agree with you), there's the unfortunate fact that those who yearn for longevity above all else seem not to reach even notable age.

My plan is to put the fundamentals in place (as you allude to), then try to forget about reaching any particular number.

It's not that I believe in the gods punishing hubris--more likely some unconscious underlying behaviour that these people adopt that undoes their best efforts.

Anyway, we all know that physical injury and accident would get us all in the end. So a thousand-year lifespan is not realistic, even if the aging process were halted.

Dr. B G said...

Thank you Peter for the interesting post and link!! See... there are people in the US (even UCSF) as progressive as yourself. *chuckle* What do you think of that TG/HDL ratio?! I love it! I'm glad she mentioned that as well -- it's an excellent surrogate marker for small LDL -- I'd predict she has no plaque -- just as your specialized carotid doppler would indicate as well :)

.^ said...

Forgot to mention, there is a series of videos at youtube featuring Ms Kenyon and a panel of experts on the question of Calorie Restriction.

Peter said...

Hi chainey,

A lot to listen to!

Thanks

Peter

Anonymous said...

I read this a while ago from Art De Vany's Evolutionary Fitness blog, I think. I debate Kenyon's claim that carbs make you sleepy. I never feel sleepy, even after holiday meals in the family home. Most of the carbs I eat are natural and paleo - fruit and unheated honey. Maybe a potato, sourdough bread, or sprouted breads sometimes. Also, I eat in a certain order. Not haphazardly. Generally I eat the lightest food first and the heaviest food last, by feel.

Good point, Chainey, about how most longevity pursuers fail. Look at Dr Roy Walford. He thought he'd thrive beyond 120. He died from ALS at 79. (No thanks due to his low-fat plant based diet, of course.)

KAYUMOCHI said...

I understand that Roy Walford's daughter weighs 80 lbs and subsists on 4 almonds and 6 walnuts a day ...

Peter said...

So she'll live to be a thousand???? Mixing up C elegans and humans is probably a mistake.

Peter

JohnN said...

The Law of Unintended Consequences rules supreme.

I like this quote from Michael Rose:
NYTimes: Do you believe there is such a thing as a limited life span for humans?
Michael Rose: No. Life span is totally tunable. In my lab, we tune it up and down all the time.

Not by developing technology to postpone human aging a la Aubrey Grey, in his famous, long-running fruit flies experiment he simply retards fertility and gets longevity.
JohnN