Is Aging a Disease?
Aging is arguably one of the most important unsolved problems of humanity, yet less than 0.1 percent of the federal research budget is spent on understanding the aging process. Why isn’t Big Pharma investing in anti-aging drugs?
My new book, How Not to Age ( ), is all about aging, and you can get your copy now from your local public library or wherever books are sold. If you haven’t seen them yet, check out the book trailer ( ) and my new presentation ( ). (As always, all proceeds I receive from all of my books ( ) are donated to charity.)
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-Michael Greger, MD FACLM
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Wow fascinating! Language has so much power in how we think about health and what gets funded and promoted. Personally, I think this is deep rooted in our collective fear of death as a culture. Aging should be considered as a stage in life. Just as youth has its own risks and benefits aging has benefits as well (wisdom) and a specific set of risk factors.
Okay, I like it.
Now how can we best use our wisdom?
I mean younger people can be proud of their (for example) running speed, or hot bods. And these are valued by society.
How to value wisdom? Or maybe better, how can we best put our wisdom to use?
(I understand you might not be interested in pursuing your idea further. Just you got me thinking. 😆)
Yes, it is.
tha AI guys like Sam Altman and Elon Musk, are serious about this topic. They believe aging is a “solvable problem”
Elon Musk is not serious about anything. He’s immature and narcissistic – if a superbly gifted salesman.
If you care to know about people who are currently the most dedicated group on solving the aging look up SENSA.
As for individuals try David Sinclair, Aubrie de Grey etc.
I turned 70 last December and now I realize that I’m a sick, sick man 😂
😂😂😂 Nice!
If aging is a disease, so is being born, living and dying. Eating can also be considered an illness. Why can’t we live without eating? Isn’t talking with your mouth a disease? Why can’t we communicate telepathically?
Aging is a cause of death that can be cured soon. So it’s a disease
I view aging as a ‘condition’; “the state of something with regard to its appearance, quality, or working order”.
We need to get you and Bryan Johnson in the same room! Or even better his medical team and see what kind of magic arises. 💚
Pretty sure Bryan Johnson copies all Dr. Gregor’s stuff for his program. He also copies the ATG stuff for his lifting/stretching. This protocol is ATG + Dr. Gregor.
I’ll never forget the time when I heard you say we don’t die of old age we die of disease. That gave me a lot of hope 🙂
Fascinating – and a sad commentary on the state of pharmaceuticals ^^”
*Our form of capitalism.
Publicly traded companies have to make as much money as possible, regardless of effect. (Or lost opportunity…)
Dr. David Sinclair!
What we need is better education for handling aging and death with compassion. Our inability to accept our mortality can lead to dark places; there’s so many horror/sci-fi stories/movies about it
😊
It’s fascinating that a lot of people vehemently oppose this point when it’s one of the rare notions the (Abrahamic) religions and science agree firmly on.
Sure it’s not a dissease but one of the effects of a curse in religion (although come to think of it, that does not exclude the posibility it is a disease) but still something very wrong and in the need of fixing.
It’s also noteworthy that most proponents of the “aging is normal” nonsense are quite old themselves or having a mental condition which affects mood.
In any case; currently the aim is healthspan rather than some form of immortality
Let’s not ignore the natural aspect of the lifecycle in any living species. We humans peak in our early 20’s and by 40 are already in a state of decline. Sure a good diet, healthy living choices and proper exercise can add years of quality life but that is it for now. Maybe 10 more years. It will be science unlocking the secrets of natural aging and reversing them who will be the larger contributor to extended life. I also question as to why you want to live all those extra years in an old body?
Dr. Greger’s new book, How Not to Age, is all about aging, and you can get your copy now from your local public library or wherever books are sold.
I am not interested in living forever but however many years I do have on this planet, I want to be as healthy as I can right up to the end.
Yeah, I think I feel the same way.
My father passed a few years ago and he was in a lot of pain and really quite limited.
That said, he didn’t get very sick until close to his end.
He was an old school health food guy; maybe that helped.
If you look in the Bible . You will see right from the start that diseases and death originally began when Adam and Eve SINNER. We inherited sin and death.😊 The only remedy is John 3:16& 17. We can die in the waters of baptism and rise to new life and the promise of everlasting life.
The zen master of rationality at work again with another slice of incontrovertible logic. Thank you.
According to him, My car has a disease because it ages😂
So many frustrate the medical community, by looking for solutions to undo decades of poor lifestyle choices. 😢