1. Life Expectancy, Aging and Centenarian research
Carolyn R. Fallahi, Ph. D.

2. Life Expectancy
The definition of Life span: the maximum # of years an individual can live.
What is the maximum? Probably 120 years.

3. Average Life Expectancy
Males 74
women 80
overall 77
social factors affect when we will die.
Sex differences & longevity.

4. Predictors of Psychological longevity?
1921 Louis Terman
“Termite” study
Reanalyzed by Friedman et al (1995)

5. Centenarians The number of centenarians has increased.
In 1980 there were only 15,000 centenarians.
2000 there were 77,000
Projected that by 2050, 834,000
New England Centenarian study.

6. Segerberg, 1982 1,200 centenarians interviewed
What makes a difference?

7. Duke Longitudinal Study
Palmore (1982)
25 year period
270 volunteers
Ages 60-94

8. The Nun Study David Snowdon 678 nuns in Minnesota
Issues: intellectual job & folic acid

9. Theories of Aging
The first 3 theories that I’m going to talk about today explain aging at a cellular level.

10. Theories of Aging
Cellular Clock Theory: Leonard Hayflick (1977) theory.
Cells can divide a maximum number of times, approximately times.
As we age, our cells become less capable of dividing.

11. Cellular Clock Theory
The tips of chromosomes are called telomeres and they are DNA sequences that cap chromosomes.
After about 70 or 80 replications, the telomeres are dramatically reduced and the cell can no longer reproduce.

12. Free – Radical Theory
A second microbiological theory of aging is called the free-radical theory.
People age b/c their cells metabolize energy.
When they do this, they generate waste that includes unstable oxygen molecules known as free radicals.
These cells cause damage.

13. Mitochonrial Theory
The role of mitochondria – tiny cellular bodies that supply energy for function, growth, and repair – might play in aging.
It seems that the decay of mitochondria is primarily due to oxidative damage and loss of critical micronutrients supplied by the cell.

14. Hormonal Stress Theory
This theory explains aging not at a cellular level, but at a hormonal level.
The hormonal stress theory – argues that aging in the body’s hormonal system can lower resistance to stress and increase the likelihood of disease.

15. Which one is correct? This is anyone’s best guest.
Maybe all of them are involved.