Active longevity: retirees live life to the fullest. “And I have five reasons for this...” Scientists have discovered the most important secrets of longevity. The statement that vigorous activity supposedly accelerates aging is fundamentally incorrect; it has no basis.

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Most researchers in the past have tried to solve the longevity problem too simply. They believed that there was only one way to prolong life—by rejuvenating an aging body. The theory of rejuvenation has dominated the minds of scientists for a long time. A huge number of books have been written that offer all sorts of anti-aging remedies, various “elixirs of youth” that supposedly help prolong life. But the “treatment” with these drugs naturally did not produce any positive results. People who received “elixirs” did not become long-livers.

Then new trends in science appeared. Thus, some scientists believed that the main and indispensable condition for longevity is vegetarianism. The theory of vegetarianism, which dominated science for quite a long time, received a wide response from people who dreamed of “rejuvenating themselves.” They refused meat and ate only vegetables and dairy products.

Many thinkers have tried to discover the secret of eternal youth through alchemy. Most alchemists believed that base metals, transformed into gold and silver, could serve as a powerful elixir, a universal medicine that preserved health and prolonged life. Thus, a parallel was drawn between the chemical changes of metals and the rejuvenation of the human body.

In 1889, the French physiologist Brown-Séquard reported on a new method of rejuvenation he had invented. After numerous experiments on animals, the 72-year-old scientist carried out a phenomenal experiment: he injected an extract from the seminal glands of a dog under his skin. First Paris, and then the whole world, excitedly followed the results of the experiment, the success of which could mark the beginning of the fulfillment of the age-old dream of mankind. A few days after the experiment, the scientist made a presentation at a meeting of the Paris Biological Society. “At present,” he said, “starting from the second, and especially from the third day after the introduction of the hood, everything has changed radically. The lost strength returned to me. Working in the laboratory now tires me little; to the surprise of my assistants, I can now work for hours without feeling the need to sit down. For several days now, after 3-4 hours of work in the laboratory, I can work for an hour or an hour and a half after lunch on editing my notes... Without any difficulty, and without even thinking about it, I can now climb the stairs almost at a run, which I I always did until I was 60.”

For several months, newspapers and magazines were full of headlines about the “sensation of the century.” Then there was silence. And only many years later it was proven that the effect achieved by Brown-Séquard was more likely a consequence of self-hypnosis than the result of the very fact of introducing the extract into the body. It turned out that this kind of injection gives only a temporary stimulating effect, but does not have any effect on the aging process.

In addition to those described above, there were many unjustified theories and experiments.

Currently, the study of the problem of old age and longevity has acquired a truly scientific character. Only since the living conditions of very old people (those aged 90, 100 and more) began to be carefully studied, has it become possible to come close to developing important issues related to longevity.

It became obvious that the problem of life extension is not only biological, medical, but also social. This is fully confirmed by numerous scientific observations, as well as the results of studies of centenarians in our country and abroad.

As research has revealed, long-livers are distinguished by good physical health and normal psyche. In 1953, Izvestia published an essay about the oldest resident of Abkhazia, Tlabgan Ketsba, who was 132 years old at that time. There seemed to be nothing unusual in the lifestyle he led. All the years he was engaged in agriculture and ate a variety of foods. Despite his extremely advanced age, the old man continued to work on the collective farm and also managed his own plot. He had 7 children, 67 grandchildren, more than 100 great-grandchildren.

Later, in the book “Problems of Aging and Longevity,” it was reported that he was already 140 years old, but he was still healthy, efficient, had a good memory (the old man remembered events that happened more than 100 years ago), was calm about his old age, and was willing to in a society where he is loved for his cheerful disposition.

Are there any characteristic features in the physical and mental state of centenarians? First of all, attention is drawn to the fact that they are immune to disease. Many of them exhibit normal age-related changes, but none have severe organic diseases that significantly limit their activities.

The question may arise: does this mean that only those who are lucky enough to avoid serious illnesses can live to a ripe old age? Yes, this is exactly what most scientists working on the problem of longevity think. A study of the lifestyle of centenarians showed that, as a rule, they never got sick. This made it possible to talk about the normal functioning of all their organs and systems, allowing them to ensure a state of balance with the environment. It is not without reason that special studies have discovered phenomena of normal physiological aging in the majority of centenarians. It was also noted that centenarians are very active, cheerful, quickly restore their mood after severe mental shocks, and do not succumb to gloomy thoughts. Hufeland was right when he wrote: “Among the influences that shorten human life, the predominant place is occupied by such mental moods as sadness, despondency, fear, melancholy.” The same idea is contained in popular sayings: “Laugh more and you will live longer,” “A good mood is the basis of longevity.”

Individual characteristics of the body and personality play a significant role in achieving longevity. The centenarians examined by gerontologists were distinguished by their calm nature, balance, and lack of fussiness. Many of the centenarians led a hard working life, experienced serious hardships, but at the same time remained calm and steadfastly endured all adversities.

Scientists in the West write that most of the centenarians were discovered in underdeveloped countries, far from city life and centers of civilization. As a rule, these were people engaged in agriculture, often primitive.

In addition, based on the research conducted, scientists come to the conclusion that a healthy family is one of the important conditions conducive to longevity.

There is still an opinion that a favorable climate is an indispensable condition for longevity. Supporters of this point of view argue that long-livers are found only among mountain residents and their lives continue for a long time due to the mountain climate (excess oxygen, ultraviolet rays). To some extent this is true. The mountain climate favors longevity, but if it depended only on climatic conditions, then everyone living in the mountains would be long-livers. However, this is not the case. By the way, studies conducted in Georgia, Armenia, North Ossetia have shown that centenarians can often be found not in the mountains, but in the valleys, where agriculture and industry are more developed than in mountainous areas, the bulk of the population is concentrated and much more intense work activity.

Here we come to a very important question - the question of labor as a source of human creative and physical strength, a source of longevity. Numerous studies have proven that long-livers are active people. They are characterized by a high vitality, which is achieved by any creative work. And the more active a person’s nervous system is, the longer he lives. This is confirmed by historical examples. So, Sophocles lived to be 90 years old. He created the brilliant work “Oedipus the King” at the age of 75, and “Oedipus at Colonus” several years later. Bernard Shaw retained his intelligence and capacity for work into old age. At the age of 94, he wrote: “Live your life to the full, give yourself completely to your fellow men, and then you will die, saying loudly: “I have done my work on earth, I have done more than that.” it was supposed to." His reward was in the consciousness that he generously and completely gave his life and his genius for the good of humanity.

The famous German thinker and poet Goethe finished Faust at the age of 83. The whole world knows the paintings of the great Repin, but few know that his last masterpieces were created by him at the age of 86! And Titian, Pavlov, Leo Tolstoy! The list of names of outstanding people who lived long lives full of creative work could be continued endlessly.

A person needs a life that is not just long, but necessarily fruitful and creative. Constant, even very intense work is one of the prerequisites for longevity.

Some scientists of the past, based on a mechanistic understanding of biological laws, expressed the judgment that by old age the body “works out”, like any machine. This point of view turned out to be incorrect.

If we assume that the inherited “reserves” of certain substances or energy are only consumed during life, then we can only come to the conclusion that they were originally inherited by humans from distant, distant ancestors. Then it turns out that weakening vital processes guarantees a more prosperous and, moreover, longer life. Actually this is not true. Unlike inanimate nature, all structures of a living body are not only gradually destroyed, but also continuously restored. For normal self-renewal of these structures, they need to function intensively. Therefore, everything that is excluded from action is doomed to degeneration and death. Atrophy comes from inaction! “Not a single lazy person has reached a ripe old age: all those who have reached it have led a very active lifestyle,” emphasized H. Hufeland.

There is a well-known general biological law: aging affects the organ that works the most and lasts the least.

Then can we force the brain to work more in order to delay, “delay” its aging in this way?

Yes we can. Any work that requires the participation of the brain improves and strengthens its functions. As a result, his activity intensifies. Recent studies convincingly show that older people, whose brains are in an active state, do not decline in mental abilities, which are crucial for human life. And that slight deterioration, which sometimes still has to be observed, is insignificant, it does not interfere with normal functioning. The results of recent studies give reason to believe that in physically and emotionally healthy people, the development of intelligence (certain most important aspects) can continue even after 80 years. All this allows us to come to the conclusion that in some cases, a decrease in intelligence is reversible and the once put forward hypothesis about cell loss occurring with age is erroneous.

Some experts argue that the still prevailing old ideas about age and intelligence sometimes have tragic consequences: a large number of intellectually developed people have discovered a decrease in their capabilities in old age due to incorrect judgments that supposedly old age brings an inevitable weakening of intelligence. “A decline in mental abilities is a self-fulfilling prophecy,” says English psychologist W. Chey, who studies the aging process. Anyone who feels able to act as well in old age as at other times of his life does not become intellectually helpless.”

The statement that vigorous activity supposedly accelerates aging is fundamentally incorrect; it has no basis. On the contrary, practice has established that for people who do not want to grow old, that is, who work intensively into old age, life expectancy does not decrease, but increases.

Over the years, centuries-old ideas about old age change. Nowadays, the expression “active aging” has become firmly established. Prof. 3. Eitner, one of the leading gerontologists in Germany, conducted an interesting study. The object of his unexpected research was children's books. It turns out that for many years the same pictures have been wandering from one book to another, depicting old men and women, whose faces reflect the severity of the years they have lived, grief, and detachment from the world around them. Everything is different in life. Today's old people do not correspond to these images at all. They are characterized by a lively participation in their surroundings, and they fully retain interest in social life. Elderly people do everything to avoid losing their tone and performance. Women, even those who have crossed the threshold of their 70th birthday, do not give up cosmetics, fashionable clothes and hairstyles. Most modern older people do not regard their age as the end of life. They are characterized by an optimistic outlook on the future and an active attitude towards life, a desire to constantly be in the thick of things, energy and activity; which can serve as an excellent example for other generations.

List of references:

1). Wiśniewska-Roszkowska K. / New life after sixty. / M.: Progress, 1989.

2). Frolkis V.V. / Aging and increasing life expectancy. / L.: Nauka, 1988.

3). Tarnavsky Yu.B. / So that autumn will be covered. / M.: Medicine, 1988.

4). Vilenchik M.M. / Biological basis of aging and longevity. / M.: Medicine, 1986.

5). Tsaregorodtsev G.I. / Living conditions and health of the population. / M.: Medicine, 1975.

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Gerontology is a science that studies the aging of living organisms, including humans. Geriatrics is a branch of clinical medicine that studies the characteristics of diseases in the elderly and senile people, developing methods for their treatment and prevention. Geriatrics is an integral part of gerontology. In all eras, humanity has shown increased interest in means of preserving youth and health, achieving longevity and prolonging life. In old texts from Africa, America, China, in the epics of the Slavs and other peoples, mention is made of “water of eternal life”, “living water”, etc. To prolong life, the ancient Egyptians used, for example, large quantities of garlic. “Tsar's tablets” were also known in Europe, including Russia. Nowadays, tablets based on garlic extract are the most important geroprophylactic agent recommended in all dietary guidelines. The active principle of garlic has been identified - the biologically active element selenium. Ideas of rejuvenation were especially popular in the Middle Ages in connection with the development of chemistry, which is reflected in the works of many schools of alchemists using the example of the search for the “elixir of life” (“philosopher’s stone”). To invent the elixir of eternal youth, alchemists used precious stones and gold, frogs and bats, centaur hair and other exotic things. In Russia, the first to highlight these issues in print was the doctor Fisher in the book “On Old Age, Its Degrees and Diseases!” (18 century). In 1801, P. Engalychev’s book “On the Extension of Human Life” was published. Of particular importance in the development of gerontology is the mass examination of the elderly conducted by S.P. Botkin (1889) in St. Petersburg. S.P. Botkin expressed his view of aging as a natural physiological process not associated with the obligatory presence of diseases. I.I. Mechnikov considered senile atrophy from the point of view of phagocytosis, created a theory about autointoxication - putrefactive intestinal bacteria, from his point of view, are the main evil for the body, because they form extremely toxic substances: indole and skatole, etc., which, when absorbed into the blood, destroy tissues and cells of the body. Thus, the theory of autointoxication has found expression in the modern craze for yoghurts, diets, organic eating, etc. Academician A.A. Bogomolets made a great scientific contribution to the development of gerontology. in the 30s. He wrote that the cause of aging is a change in connective tissue, and created a special ACS vaccine - “Antireticular cytotoxic serum”, which is still successfully used to treat older people. The development of gerontology in the 40-60s is explained by the successes of general biology and genetics. A new direction of development has been determined

gerontology – the study of molecular genetic mechanisms of aging. In 1950, the International Association of Gerontology was created. In 1963, the All-Union Scientific Society of Gerontologists and Geriatricians was organized in the USSR, and since 1967 it has been a member of the International Association of Gerontology. Currently, major medical scientists around the world continue to work on uncovering the secrets of aging; in almost every country there are national gerontological centers and institutes.

Biological aspects of aging Old age is an inevitable period of human life that follows maturity, characterized by a decrease in the compensatory capabilities and reactivity of the body. Old age is the result of a dynamic process - aging. Aging is a long-term biological process of age-related changes in the body, which begins long before old age and inevitably leads to a gradually increasing limitation of the body’s adaptive capabilities and an increase in the likelihood of death. The idea of the timing of old age has changed due to an increase in the average life expectancy of people, due to changes in the health status of the population. The longest life expectancy is observed in people whose both parents were long-livers. Interesting observations: the life expectancy of the mother, more than that of the father, influences the life expectancy of children of both sexes, and the life expectancy of the father has a greater influence on the life expectancy of sons than daughters. One of the fundamental issues of gerontology is the question of age. There is a classification of age groups 4 Up to 45 years old - young age 45-59 years old - middle age 60-74 years old - elderly age 75-90 years old - senile age over 91 years old - centenarians.. It is interesting that For every 10 long-living men there are only 4 women. There are several definitions of age:

Ø Calendar (chronological, passport) – expressed on a calendar scale, i.e. measured by the number of revolutions around the sun. Ø Biological age is the degree of true health, the level of vitality and general health of the body, all its functions.

Ø Psychological age is the age at which a person feels himself. Modern biologists believe that the animal and human body begins to age from the moment of conception; this process occurs throughout life.

Is it possible to live a long time without feeling like an old man? How to maintain strength, vigor, and a clear mind until old age? These questions have worried humanity since ancient times.
Cases of longevity were considered in the past as something phenomenal, out of the ordinary. It is known, for example, that the postal official Robert Taylor, who lived in England, reached 134 years of age. Struck and touched by this fact, Queen Victoria sent the old man her* portrait with the inscription: “A gift from Queen Victoria to R. Taylor in memory of his deep and unparalleled old age.” True, the unexpected happened: the gift excited the centenarian so much that, having received it, he died on the same day.

The French scientist P. Geniot in his book “To Live a Hundred Years” says that “On July 31, 1554, Cardinal d’Armagnac, walking down the street, saw an 80-year-old man crying on the threshold of his house. To the cardinal's question, the old man replied that his father had beaten him. The surprised cardinal wanted to see his father. He was introduced to a very vigorous old man of 113 years old. The old man explained to the cardinal that he beat his son for disrespecting his grandfather, whom he passed by without bowing. Entering the house, the cardinal saw another old man there, 143 years old.”

According to the descriptions of 16th-century scientists, the English fisherman Henry Jenkins lived a very long life, dying at the age of 169. Until old age he maintained a clear mind and efficiency. English gerontologists also cite another case: in 1635, the English peasant Thomas Parr, who at that time was 153 years old, appeared before King Charles I as a “miracle of longevity.” Parr died soon after in London. Doctor William Harvey was invited to perform his autopsy. He wrote an autopsy report confirming Parr's age.

Cases of longevity described in other countries are also of interest. For example, the life story of 156-year-old Turk Zaro Agha is known. He was married 13 times, had 25 children and 34 grandchildren. Scientists who observed this long-liver note that he always led a very calm, measured lifestyle, did not smoke, drank only soft drinks, ate little meat and bread, preferred vegetable foods, curdled milk, and fruits. Zaro Agha died in Constantinople as a result of a uremic coma.

Examples of longevity were also given in various sources of later years. Thus, it was reported that Irishwoman Katharina Plunket lived 112 years, US resident Jane Davis lived 111 years, and Englishwoman Louise Desmond lived 140 years.

The 18th century was marked by the birth of macrobiotics - the science of life extension. At the beginning of the last century it reached its peak. However, initially macrobiotics was almost entirely reduced to the theory of rational personal hygiene. In the works of the founder of this theory, H. Hufeland, one can find indications that in order to prolong life it is necessary to eat properly, keep your body clean, and treat diseases in a timely manner. Research in this area carried out by the Russian scientist Parfeniy Engalychev is also known. In Moscow in 1833, his treatise on macrobiotics “On the extension of human life” was published. How to achieve a healthy, cheerful and deep old age.” The author argued that you can live a very long time and maintain excellent physical and mental health until the end of your days if you remember the need for a balanced diet, the harmful effects of alcohol and tobacco on the body, the enormous benefits of exercise, proper rest after work, etc. All this helps prevent disease and ensure healthy aging. Engalychev fully agrees with Gufeland; their position on the issue of longevity is generally the same: it is necessary to maintain personal hygiene and only under this condition can longevity be achieved.

Most researchers in the past have tried to solve the longevity problem too simply. They believed that there was only one way to prolong life - by rejuvenating an aging body. The theory of rejuvenation has dominated the minds of scientists for a long time. A huge number of books have been written that offer all sorts of anti-aging remedies, various “elixirs of youth” that supposedly help prolong life. But the “treatment” with these drugs naturally did not produce any positive results. People who received “elixirs” did not become long-livers.
Then new trends in science appeared. Thus, some scientists believed that the main and indispensable condition for longevity is vegetarianism. The theory of vegetarianism, which dominated science for quite a long time, received a wide response from people who dreamed of “rejuvenating themselves.” They refused meat and ate only vegetables and dairy products.

Although life has always seemed too short to a person, the thought of its transience brought much less grief than the realization that we have full physical and mental health for only part of our life. Here we cannot help but recall the statement of one of the characters in Goethe’s tragedy “Faust” that the onset of old age with all its ailments can be slowed down to some extent by adhering to a rational lifestyle, but our desire to return youth is impossible, since it exceeds natural possibilities. Only witchcraft and a magic drink can help here. In the plot of his tragedy, Goethe vividly reflected this eternal dream of man about the desired return of youth with the help of magic.

Since ancient times, numerous legends have passed from mouth to mouth about the existence of enchanted mills, magical springs and lakes, after visiting which old men and women turn into young men and women.
And while some scientists wandered through uncharted lands in search of these springs and lakes, others, locked in their offices, tried to discover the secret of eternal youth with the help of alchemy. Most alchemists believed that base metals, transformed into gold and silver, could serve as a powerful elixir, a universal medicine that preserved health and prolonged life. Thus, a parallel was drawn between the chemical changes of metals and the rejuvenation of the human body.

This is what the English scientist R. Bacon stated in one of his treatises: “Just as with the help of magic one can purify base metals from all impurities and impurities and turn them into pure gold and silver, so one can free the human body from all irregularities and prolong life for many centuries." R. Bacon recommended pure gold, incense, pearls, rosemary oil, and deer bone marrow as the most important alchemical remedies supposedly restoring youth. Other alchemists proposed such “rejuvenating substrates” as, for example, raw viper meat, human blood, etc. All this eloquently shows that the alchemists based their conclusions not on experience, but on superstition and witchcraft.

In 1889, the French physiologist Brown Séquard reported on a new method of rejuvenation he had invented. After numerous experiments on animals, the 72-year-old scientist carried out a phenomenal experiment: he injected an extract from the seminal glands of a dog under his skin. First Paris, and then the whole world, excitedly followed the results of the experiment, the success of which could mark the beginning of the fulfillment of the age-old dream of mankind. A few days after the experiment, the scientist made a presentation at a meeting of the Paris Biological Society. “At present,” he said, “from the second, and especially from the third day after the introduction of the hood, everything has changed radically. The lost strength returned to me. Working in the laboratory now tires me little; to the surprise of my assistants, I can now work for hours without feeling the need to sit down. For several days now, after 3-4 hours of work in the laboratory, I can work for an hour or an hour and a half after lunch on editing my notes... Without any difficulty, and without even thinking about it, I can now climb the stairs almost at a run, which I always did before 60 years of age."
For several months, newspapers and magazines were full of headlines about the “sensation of the century.” Then there was silence. And only many years later it was proven that the effect achieved by Brown-Séquard was more likely a consequence of self-hypnosis than the result of the very fact of introducing the extract into the body. It turned out that this kind of injection gives only a temporary stimulating effect, but does not have any effect on the aging process.

At the end of the 19th century, the research of I. I. Mechnikov became known, which led to the emergence of the famous Mechnikov theory of aging. What is it?
Microbes enter the intestines along with food. Some of them are useful - they help digest food, absorb vitamins and nutrients. The main part of the microbes are putrefactive microorganisms, which, acting on food debris, form toxic substances - indole, phenol, skatole, which are absorbed into the blood and have a detrimental effect on various organs and tissues. Muscle and nerve cells are especially susceptible to this harmful effect of microbes. As for connective tissue, it not only does not suffer from the action of microbial flora, but also replaces
dead “noble” cells. Thus, constant self-poisoning of the body occurs, ultimately leading to sclerosis of the internal organs and their premature degeneration, precisely premature, because the poisonous effect of putrefactive intestinal flora, according to I. I. Mechnikov, interrupts human life much earlier than possible.
This means that in order to prolong life, it is necessary to reduce the harmful effects of putrefactive intestinal microbes. But how can this be achieved?
As a result of many years of research into the various properties of microbes, I. I. Mechnikov came to the conclusion that in the presence of the lactic acid bacterium Bulgarian curdled milk, putrefactive microbes cannot multiply. It would seem that a solution had been found. You just need to take a glass of yogurt every day before bed, and this will ensure the complete disappearance of putrefactive flora in the intestines.
Despite its originality, this hypothesis was soon recognized as untenable. In those days, science did not yet have the high technical equipment that today allowed scientists to come to the conclusion that the causes of aging and old age are deeper and more diverse, and the nature of age-related changes themselves is more complex than the outstanding Russian scientist thought. However, the thoughts expressed by I. I. Mechnikov have not lost their value to this day. His call to prevent old age has found its effective embodiment in today's main direction of medicine - preventive medicine. Modern science owes his observation to the fact that microorganisms fight among themselves that it is possible to use the properties of mold (penicillium) for the production of antibiotics. The significance of this scientist’s research is reflected in the words of the famous gerontologist K. Parkhon: “Mechnikov’s main merit was that he put forward various problems and gave a strong impetus to further research, opening new paths to the study of old age. And a large number of other representatives of Russian and Soviet science followed these paths.”

Currently, the study of the problem of old age and longevity has acquired a truly scientific character. Only since the living conditions of very old people (those aged 90, 100 and more) began to be carefully studied, has it become possible to come close to developing important issues related to longevity.
It became obvious that the problem of life extension is not only biological, medical, but also social. This is fully confirmed by numerous scientific observations, as well as the results of studies of centenarians in our country and abroad.
For the first time, an expedition to examine the centenarians of Abkhazia was organized in the USSR in 1938 on the initiative of A. A. Bogomolets. Then a similar survey was carried out in Ukraine, Armenia, North Ossetia, Belarus and various regions of the RSFSR.
What did this examination show? According to Yu. A. Spasokukotsky, who dealt with this problem, old age among centenarians, as a rule, began only at the age of 70-80. Many of them, even at 90 years old, had no gray hair, retained their teeth, and had very little loss of vision and hearing.
As has been revealed as a result of other studies, centenarians are distinguished by good physical health and normal psyche. In 1953, Izvestia published an essay about the oldest resident of Abkhazia, Tlabgan Ketsba, who was 132 years old at that time. There seemed to be nothing unusual in the lifestyle he led. All the years he was engaged in agriculture. Ate a variety of foods. Despite his extremely advanced age, the old man continued to work on the collective farm and also managed his own plot. He had 7 children, 67 grandchildren, more than 100 great-grandchildren.
Later in the book “Problems of Aging and Longevity” it was reported that he was already 140 years old, but he was still healthy, efficient, had a good memory (the old man remembered events that happened more than 100 years ago), was calm about his old age, and was willing to be in society , where he is loved for his cheerful disposition.

The fate of Tlabgan Ketsba is no exception. There are other cases of longevity recorded by researchers in various regions of our country. Numerous observations show a clear trend towards an increase in the number of centenarians. This demonstrates the potential to expand the limits of ordinary human life. “We firmly believe that the time will finally come when it will be a shame for a person to die before the age of 100,” said the Russian physiologist
I. R. Tarkhanov. And such scientists as I. I. Mechnikov and A. A. Bogomolets believed that a person can live 150-160 years.

The question of what the role of heredity is in centenarians is still being debated. Researchers note its crucial importance, pointing to the direct dependence of the life expectancy of children on the life expectancy of their parents.
There is no doubt that longevity of parents is a positive factor. However, this does not mean that it should be considered as a prerequisite for the longevity of descendants.
Many scientists emphasize the frequent occurrence of long-term marriages. In the Stavropol Territory in 1951, 145-year-old Vasily Sergeevich Tishkin, who had been married for 82 years, died. His wife Pelageya Lukinichna was 98 years old by this time. Karaganda resident 104-year-old Egimbay Sataev and his wife 100-year-old Zhakeya Sataeva have been married for 80 years. The longest marriage in the world is considered to be that of the Hungarian couple John and Sarah Rovel, which lasted 147 years. John died at the age of 172, Sarah - 164.

Interesting data were obtained from a study of long-livers in Khakassia. It is noteworthy that among them there are no bachelors at all. All long-livers were in long-term marriages. The results obtained during a mass survey in Ukraine are also interesting. As journalist V. Perevedentsev reported, in this republic, among people over 80 years old, there were 2 times fewer single men than married men. Centenarians managed to create good families. Many of them had married lives that lasted 60-70 years or more.
Based on the research conducted, scientists come to the conclusion that a healthy family is one of the important conditions conducive to longevity.

The question may arise: does this mean that only those who are lucky enough to avoid serious illnesses can live to a ripe old age? Yes, this is exactly what most scientists working on the problem of longevity think. A study of the lifestyle of centenarians showed that, as a rule, they never got sick. This made it possible to talk about the normal functioning of all their organs and systems, allowing them to ensure a state of balance with the environment. It is not without reason that special studies have discovered phenomena of normal physiological aging in the majority of centenarians.
It was also noted that centenarians are very active, cheerful, quickly restore their mood after severe mental shocks, and do not succumb to gloomy thoughts. Hufeland was right when he wrote: “Among the influences that shorten human life, the predominant place is occupied by such mental moods as sadness, despondency, fear, melancholy.” The same idea is contained in popular sayings: “Laugh more - you will live longer”, “A good mood is the basis of longevity.”

Individual characteristics of the body and personality play a significant role in achieving longevity. The centenarians examined by gerontologists were distinguished by their calm nature, balance, and lack of fussiness. Many people have probably seen a film about 167-year-old Shirali Muslimov. At the beginning of the film, it was shown how this centenarian works, rests, and eats simple food. Then a young cameraman appeared in the frame, he was constantly scurrying around the famous old man, making many unnecessary movements, running from place to place. The old man looked closely at the young man, finally called him over and asked: “Why are you all rushing back and forth, back and forth? It’s better to sit down, think, choose a place from where it’s better for you to click. And then stand and click.”

Many of the centenarians led a hard working life, experienced serious hardships, but at the same time remained calm and steadfastly endured all adversities. “Cenencentenarians talked little about the hardships they experienced, which cannot but be compared with the endless complaints of some “old people” at the age of 50-60,” I. V. Davydovsky very accurately noted.
Foreign scientists write that most of the centenarians were discovered in underdeveloped countries, far from city life and centers of civilization. As a rule, these were people engaged in agriculture, often primitive. Studies conducted in our country also showed that centenarians mainly live in rural areas. However, there were many people aged 90-100 years or more in cities. Centenarians were found among representatives of various professions (workers, doctors, teachers, scientists, artists, literature).

There is still an opinion that a favorable climate is an indispensable condition for longevity. Supporters of this point of view argue that long-livers are found only among mountain residents and their lives continue for a long time due to the mountain climate (excess oxygen, ultraviolet rays).
To some extent this is true. The mountain climate favors longevity, but if it depended only on climatic conditions, then everyone living in the mountains would be long-livers. However, this is not the case. By the way, studies conducted in Georgia, Armenia, North Ossetia have shown that centenarians can often be found not in the mountains, but in the valleys, where agriculture and industry are more developed than in mountainous areas, the bulk of the population is concentrated and much more intense work activity.

Numerous studies have proven that centenarians are active people. They are characterized by a high vitality, which is achieved by any creative work. And the more active a person’s nervous system is, the longer he lives. This is confirmed by historical examples. So, Sophocles lived to be 90 years old. He created the brilliant work “Oedipus the King” at the age of 75, and “Oedipus at Colonus” several years later. Bernard Shaw retained his intelligence and efficiency into old age. At age 94, he wrote: “Live your life to the fullest, give yourself completely to your fellow men, and then you will die loudly saying, ‘I have done my work on earth, I have done more than my fair share.’” His reward was in the consciousness that he generously and completely gave his life and his genius for the good of humanity.
The famous German thinker and poet Goethe finished Faust at the age of 83. The whole world knows the paintings of the great Repin, but few know that his last masterpieces were created by him at the age of 86! And Titian, Pavlov, Leo Tolstoy! The list of names of outstanding people who lived long lives full of creative work could be continued endlessly.

A person needs a life that is not just long, but necessarily fruitful and creative. Constant, even very intense work is one of the prerequisites for longevity.
Some scientists of the past, based on a mechanistic understanding of biological laws, expressed the judgment that by old age the body “works out”, like any machine. This point of view turned out to be incorrect.
If we assume that the inherited “reserves” of certain substances or energy are only consumed during life, then we can only come to the conclusion that they were originally inherited by humans from distant, distant ancestors. Then it turns out that weakening vital processes guarantees a more prosperous and, moreover, longer life. Actually this is not true. Unlike inanimate nature, all structures of a living body are not only gradually destroyed, but also
are continuously restored. For normal self-renewal of these structures, they need to function intensively. Therefore, everything that is excluded from action is doomed to degeneration and death. Atrophy comes from inaction! “Not a single lazy person has reached a ripe old age: all those who have reached it have led a very active lifestyle,” emphasized H. Hufeland.

There is a well-known general biological law: aging affects the organ that works the most and lasts the least. Then can we force the brain to work more in order to delay, “delay” its aging in this way?
Yes we can. Any work that requires the participation of the brain improves and strengthens its function. As a result, his activity intensifies.

Recent studies convincingly show that older people, whose brains are in an active state, do not decline in mental abilities, which are crucial for human life. And that slight deterioration, which sometimes still has to be observed, is insignificant, it does not interfere with normal functioning.
The results of recent studies give reason to believe that in physically and emotionally healthy people, the development of intelligence (certain most important aspects) can continue even after 80 years. All this allows us to come to the conclusion that in some cases the decline in intelligence is reversible and the once put forward hypothesis about cell loss occurring with age is erroneous.
Some experts argue that the still prevailing old ideas about age and intelligence sometimes have tragic consequences: a large number of intellectually developed people have discovered a decrease in their capabilities in old age due to incorrect judgments that supposedly old age brings an inevitable weakening of intelligence. “A decline in mental abilities is a self-fulfilling prophecy,” says English psychologist W. Chey, who studies the aging process. “Anyone who feels able to function as well in old age as at other times of his life does not become intellectually helpless.”
The statement that vigorous activity supposedly accelerates aging is fundamentally incorrect; it has no basis. On the contrary, practice has established that for people who do not want to grow old, that is, who work intensively into old age, life expectancy does not decrease, but increases.

Over the years, centuries-old ideas about old age change. Nowadays, the expression “active aging” has become firmly established. Prof. 3. Eitner, one of the leading gerontologists in the GDR, recently conducted an interesting study. The object of his unexpected research was children's books. It turns out that for many years the same pictures have been wandering from one book to another, depicting old men and women, whose faces reflect the severity of the years they have lived, grief, and detachment from the world around them. Everything is different in life. Today's old people do not correspond to these images at all. They are characterized by a lively participation in their surroundings, and they fully retain interest in social life. Elderly people do everything to avoid losing their tone and performance. Women, even those who have crossed the threshold of their 70th birthday, do not give up cosmetics, fashionable clothes and hairstyles.

Most modern older people do not regard their age as the end of life. They are characterized by an optimistic outlook on the future and an active attitude towards life, a desire to constantly be in the thick of things, energy and activity, which can serve as an excellent example for other generations.

Longevity is a socio-biological phenomenon characterized by a person’s survival to high ages. Longevity is counted from 90 years, in some statistical and gerontological studies - from 100 years. It is extremely difficult to establish the upper limits of actual longevity, since very old people often make mistakes in determining their age.

Longevity is based on the significant severity of adaptive mechanisms that ensure the physiological nature of aging. Changes in the main physiological systems occur smoothly, the state of a number of body systems is similar in many respects to those of younger people, for example, the morphological and biochemical composition of the blood, some indicators of the cardiovascular, endocrine systems, and central nervous system. As a rule, long-livers have a strong, balanced type of higher nervous activity. They are characterized by the preservation of mental and physical strength, a certain activity and performance, good memory, interest in events and phenomena of the surrounding world, and a certain resistance to stressful situations. Centenarians are less susceptible to infectious and non-infectious diseases; they have a long childbearing period and intense fertility.

Many gerontologists believe that the significant potential of centenarians to reach high ages and maintain vitality is determined genetically. However, an equally important role in the realization of longevity belongs to social factors and the lifestyle of the population.

The study of the problem of longevity involves the study of environmental factors and lifestyle of the population, as well as the implementation of measures that contribute to the implementation of a hereditary predisposition to long life, lengthening the period of working capacity and maintaining a healthy, active old age.

The socio-economic factors influencing the level of longevity include the conditions and nature of work, material security, nutrition and living conditions, the cultural level and lifestyle of the population, the degree and quality of satisfaction of their needs for medical care, etc. These factors are interconnected with natural factors and heredity, but their significance and correlation in different countries or regions of the globe may vary. This explains the significant territorial features of longevity. Fluctuations in the level of longevity in different countries of the world are quite large. In countries that have suffered enormous human losses and significant economic damage, and the health of the population has been undermined by the hardships of war, longevity rates tend to be lower.

Longevity Factors

Many people are interested in the issues of life expectancy and especially active longevity, characterized by high performance without disease.

Factors contributing to active longevity:

1. natural-ecological, climatic;
2. physiometric features - long-livers: thin, active people, lovers of fresh air, they do not have the ailments of old age.
3. Creative activity is of particular importance (as a factor of psychological, social and biological longevity).

Indicators that influence the processes of aging and anti-bioaging:

1. heredity;
2. time and place of birth;
3. breathing conditions and culture;
4. physical culture;
5. nutrition;
6. moral and mental state;
7. sleep;
8. social status;
9. working conditions;
10. medical and drug services;
11. bad habits.

Very soon people may actually get closer to achieving immortality. The aging process can become a thing of the past. If we cope with the problem of aging, all the diseases associated with it and killing us will disappear. This will lead a person to the opportunity to live forever. Surprisingly, genetically engineered drugs that can reverse the aging process will be available in the near future. It will become possible not only to stop it, but also to start the biological clock in the opposite direction. At 70, we will be able to look 50, that is, feel better than at 60. If the rejuvenation process continues for another 10 years, at 80 we will look and feel 40. Such reverse processes are possible due to the fact that scientists have already studied the mechanism aging and have proven the ability of genetically engineered drugs to cure diseases. The same technology will be used to stop aging.

Science tells us that we age because of problems with individual cells in our bodies. The whole in this case is equal to the sum of its parts. Throughout our lives, some cells are constantly replaced by others. But cells born at a later age accumulate more defects, mutations and so-called DNA misspellings, unlike those that appear in youth. The older we get, the more cells we have with errors and the fewer cells that are free from them. Our bodies no longer look the same and function worse and worse. Why do cells make these "spelling mistakes"? Perhaps the destructive effects of free cellular radicals are to blame for this. Free radicals are fragments of molecules formed during normal cellular metabolism that act unpredictably and cause great harm. Radiation, toxins, carcinogens, stress and other factors can increase the number of free radicals. In addition, enzymes - a kind of toolkit for correcting "spelling errors" - are not produced in sufficient quantities by the new cells that form as we age.

Based on this idea, scientists are working to invent ways to support and extend the life of the DNA repair system. This means both correcting errors that appear in the reproduced DNA when a new cell is born, and correcting parts of this molecule damaged by free radicals. The reverse process of aging will occur when erroneous, damaged “old” cells begin to be replaced by “new” ones, free from errors and defects, and so on until the entire body contains only young cells.

And although now it seems just a dream, this is not a science fiction idea. In laboratories around the world, this theory is gradually turning into reality. At the Center for Molecular Science at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Dr. Samuel Wilson is conducting experiments that will lead to experiments, first on animals, then on humans. Ultimately, a medicine will be created that will turn people from old age into youth.

Dr. Wilson “has already isolated in mice the gene for one of the DNA repair enzymes, identical to the human one. It is known that the production of this enzyme declines sharply with age. The scientist plans to breed mice that will carry significantly more additional copies of the gene for this important enzyme. Dr. "Wilson hopes that the extra genes could keep the amount of the enzyme high enough to significantly prolong their DNA repair work. Thus, animal DNA would accumulate errors and mutations much more slowly, and the mice would live to a very advanced age."

Dr Wilson predicts: "I think in about a year or more ... we will be able to say that we have successfully created a mouse. After that, it will be another six months before we can confidently say that we have extended their lifespan."

Another team working in Galveston is led by Dr. John Papaconstantinou, whose research is still in the early stages. His group is working on several genes, including those associated with the response to daily stress. Interestingly, these genes carry information about the production of proteins that can deftly get out of the cell’s cytoplasm into its nucleus, where they search for special areas on the DNA, turning on and off the expression of any genes. According to Dr. Papaconstantinou, "As we age, some cells produce too much of some proteins and too little of others." This means that gene functions are turned on or off incorrectly. Therefore, “we have long been striving to find out more about these processes in order to bring the cell back to the balance of youth and maturity by manipulating the functioning of the corresponding genes.”

If Dr. Wilson, Dr. Papaconstantinou, and scientists from many other countries around the world are right in their theory and succeed in practice, their work will allow them to influence genes that can reverse the aging process - change our cells, and therefore ourselves. When will this happen? According to the most optimistic estimates, in 2010; It's definitely worth living until then. Dr. Thomas Perle of Harvard Medical College notes that "traditional views of aging may need to be reconsidered." Nowadays people live longer and feel much better than in other eras. It has been found that “people ninety years of age and older are often healthier and stronger than those twenty years younger.” Therefore, there is a strong probability, greater than ever before, that many of us will live to be a hundred years old - and even more.

C. Juan

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