Download or read book Aging Death and Human Longevity written by Christine Overall and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2003-02-04 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Annotation Life expectancy increasing dramatically for both social and scientific reasons. This book explores the arguments for and against increasing the length of human life and proposes a progressive social policy for responding to a longer-lived population.
Download or read book Human Longevity Individual Life Duration and the Growth of the Oldest Old Population written by Jean-Marie Robine and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-03-21 with total page 443 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Old-age survival has considerably improved in the second half of the twentieth century. Why has such a substantial extension of human lifespan occurred? How long can we live? In this book, these fundamental questions are explored by experts from diverse fields. They report on recent cutting-edge studies about essential issues of human longevity and social factors of long survival in old age.
Download or read book Human Longevity the Major Determining Factors written by Joseph A. Knight M.D. and published by Author House. This book was released on 2010-12-09 with total page 554 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two thousand years ago, the average life expectancy from birth to death of a Roman citizen, an individual better off than most people at that time, was about 22 years (wars, infectious diseases, trauma, etc.). This progressively increased to about 47 years in the U.S. and most European countries by 1900. Today, the average life expectancy in the U.S. is 78 years (women about five years more than men). However, unless the obesity pandemic is reversed and lifestyles improved, the average life expectancy will likely decrease significantly. conversely, if our lifestyles improve, the average life expectancy could reach 85 or more years. Growing older does not necessarily mean growing sicker. Thus, "don't just add years to your life, add life to your years" (Hans Selve). Indeed, of the 15 major causes of death in the U.S., 65-70% are lifestyle-related. In this book, the following documented topics that are associated with diseases and mortality are discussed in detail: theories of aging; diseases and mortality associated with obesity, physical inactivity and poor nutrition; psychological stress (anxiety, depression); addiction (alcohol, tobacco, drugs); violence (suicide, homicide); food-borne and infectious diseases (viral, bacterial, parasitic); and various other conditions (air pollution, asbestosis, trace metals).
Download or read book Aging and Human Longevity written by M.-F. Schulz-Aellen and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The proportion of elderly people continues to increase in the western world-nearly a quarter of the population will be over 65 years by the year 2050. Since aging is accompanied by an increase in diseases and by a deterioration in well-being, finding solutions to these social, medical and psychological problems is necessarily a major goal for society. Scientists and medical practitioners are therefore faced with the urgent task of increasing basic knowledge of the biological processes that cause aging. More resources must be put into this research in order to achieve better understanding of the cellular mechanisms that underlie the differences in life span between species and to answer the difficult questions of why some individuals age more quickly than others, and why some develop liver problems, some have heart problems, and others brain problems. The results of such a wide program of research will provide important information about the causes of many life-threatening and/ or debilitating diseases of old age; it will help find ways to prevent some of the ailments that result from aging, and it may well lead to discoveries enabling the prolongation of human life.
Download or read book Human Longevity written by David W. E. Smith and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1993 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This absorbing, balanced account of human longevity draws together information from the fields of medicine, biology, demography, epidemiology, gerontology, and sociology. It describes the history and present status of human longevity and deals in logical sequence with the questions this subject raises. The book illustrates how life expectancy has increased in most countries due, in part, to changing causes of death. It examines the biological determinants of longevity and analyzes social and behavioral factors that may reduce longevity. The book covers the reasons why women live longer than men. It asks why the maximum human life span is nearly twice that of any other warm-blooded animal and much longer than required for reproductive success, and it discusses factors that were involved in the evolution of longevity. It presents predictable increases in human life expectancy and explores the possibility that the maximum human life expectancy may become even longer. Accessible, comprehensive, and original, this book provides a multidisciplinary synthesis of ideas and conclusions about human longevity. It will have wide appeal to professionals in the many areas concerned with longevity as well as lay readers.
Download or read book Exceptional Longevity written by Bernard Jeune and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: States that the number of genuine long-livers is exploding and a substantial proportion of new-borns in developed countries may survive to celebrate their 100th birthday. This book examines the storied realms of exceptional longevity.
Download or read book Extending the Human Life Span written by Bernice L. Neugarten and published by . This book was released on 1977 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Life Unlimited written by Edward Franco and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2011-11-23 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is it possible that the death of our physical bodies was never part of a divine plan? Is it possible that the key to unlocking our immortality lies not so much in the realm of science as it does in our own hearts and minds? In Life Unlimited, author Edward Franco examines the attitudes and beliefs surrounding aging, death, and physical immortality. An interactive exploration of self, Life Unlimited raises questions that may seem blasphemous to some, but which may be necessary for awakening our true potential. This guide explores how you can accomplish the following: Recognize the powerful value of the mind/body connection Enhance well-being through regular spiritual practices Realize the impact of self-concept on aging, health, and wellness Learn to say no to cultural conditioning and stereotypes around aging Understand how our egos can undermine the lofty intentions of our higher spiritual selves Celebrate the gifts of adulthood and maturity Life Unlimited considers the doubts, fears, and perplexities humans experience in various life situations and illustrates how to ?nd new understanding and guidance. It provides a unique perspective on the subject of aging and longevity.
Download or read book International Differences in Mortality at Older Ages written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2011-02-27 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1950 men and women in the United States had a combined life expectancy of 68.9 years, the 12th highest life expectancy at birth in the world. Today, life expectancy is up to 79.2 years, yet the country is now 28th on the list, behind the United Kingdom, Korea, Canada, and France, among others. The United States does have higher rates of infant mortality and violent deaths than in other developed countries, but these factors do not fully account for the country's relatively poor ranking in life expectancy. International Differences in Mortality at Older Ages: Dimensions and Sources examines patterns in international differences in life expectancy above age 50 and assesses the evidence and arguments that have been advanced to explain the poor position of the United States relative to other countries. The papers in this deeply researched volume identify gaps in measurement, data, theory, and research design and pinpoint areas for future high-priority research in this area. In addition to examining the differences in mortality around the world, the papers in International Differences in Mortality at Older Ages look at health factors and life-style choices commonly believed to contribute to the observed international differences in life expectancy. They also identify strategic opportunities for health-related interventions. This book offers a wide variety of disciplinary and scholarly perspectives to the study of mortality, and it offers in-depth analyses that can serve health professionals, policy makers, statisticians, and researchers.
Download or read book Aging and Human Longevity written by Marie-Françoise Schulz-Aellen and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Quest for Human Longevity written by Lewis D. Solomon and published by Transaction Publishers. This book was released on 2011-12-31 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many scientists today are working to retard the aging process in humans so as to increase both life expectancy and the quality of life. Over the past decade impressive results have been achieved in targeting the mechanisms and pathways of aging. In The Quest for Human Longevity, Lewis D. Solomon considers these scientific studies by exploring the principal biomedical anti-aging techniques. The book also considers cutting edge research on mental enhancements and assesses the scientific doubts of skeptics. The Quest for Human Longevity is also about business. Solomon examines eight corporations pursuing various age-related interventions, profiling their scientific founders and top executives, and examining personnel, intellectual property, and financing for each firm. Academic scientists form the link between research and commerce. Solomon notes that the involvement of university scientists and researchers follows one of two models. The first is a traditional model in which scientists leave academia to work for a corporation or remain in academia and obtain business support for their research. The second is a modern model in which scientists use their intellectual property as a catalyst for acquiring equity interests in the firms they organize. Critics have pointed to the dangers of commercialized science, but Solomon's analysis, on balance, finds that the benefits outweigh the costs and that problems of secrecy and conflicts of interest can be addressed. If scientists succeed in unlocking the secrets of aging and developing drugs or therapies that will allow us to live decades longer, the consequences for society will include profound social, political, economic, and ethical questions. Solomon deals with the public policy aspects of significant life extension and looks at the conflict between those who advocate the acceptance of mortality and the partisans of life. The Quest for Human Longevity will be of interest to policymakers, sociologists, scientists, and students of business, as well as general readers interested in these compelling issues. Lewis D. Solomon is Theodore Rinehart Professor of Business Law at George Washington University Law School. A prolific author on legal, business, public policy, and religious topics, he has written over fifty books and numerous articles. He is an ordained rabbi and interfaith minister.
Download or read book Human Longevity written by James Easton and published by . This book was released on 1799 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Aging and Human Longevity written by Marie-Francoise Schulz-Aellen and published by Birkhäuser. This book was released on 1997 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The proportion of elderly people continues to increase in the western world-nearly a quarter of the population will be over 65 years by the year 2050. Since aging is accompanied by an increase in diseases and by a deterioration in well-being, finding solutions to these social, medical and psychological problems is necessarily a major goal for society. Scientists and medical practitioners are therefore faced with the urgent task of increasing basic knowledge of the biological processes that cause aging. More resources must be put into this research in order to achieve better understanding of the cellular mechanisms that underlie the differences in life span between species and to answer the difficult questions of why some individuals age more quickly than others, and why some develop liver problems, some have heart problems, and others brain problems. The results of such a wide program of research will provide important information about the causes of many life-threatening and/ or debilitating diseases of old age; it will help find ways to prevent some of the ailments that result from aging, and it may well lead to discoveries enabling the prolongation of human life.
Download or read book Longevity To the Limits and Beyond written by Jean-Marie Robine and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why longevity? For a number of years, the Fondation IPSEN has been devoting considerable effort to the various aspects of ageing, not only to age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's, but also to the Centenarians, the paragon of positive ageing. The logical continuation of this approach is to address the question of longevity in global terms. Behind the extreme values, what span is accessible to all of us and likely to directly concern most of our contemporaries? The individual and col lective increase in the duration of life is one of the most striking phenomena of our time. It could be one of the most significant events in the "bio-social" history of humanity. The increase in life expectancy at old age, which started a few de cades ago only, is going on. The most well-advised observer had not foreseen or even dared hope for this increase which will drastically affect our everyday life, our habits and our behavior. In the fragment of human history we are living in, it is our responsibility to deal with this major transformation for the species. Such a transformation needs an effort from all to adapt to the new conditions. This transformation has to be managed rather than simply experienced, anticip ated rather than followed, in order to avoid any attempt to pervert this major step forward. All that was present during the first symposium of the new series on longevity of the Colloques Medecine et Recherche convened by the Fondation IPSEN.
Download or read book The Long and the Short of It written by Jonathan Silvertown and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2013-11-01 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “[A] whimsical book on aging . . . the author mixes art, science, and humor to brew a highly readable concoction, presenting one aging theory after another.” —Publishers Weekly Everything that lives will die. That’s the fundamental fact of life. But not everyone dies at the same age: people vary wildly in their patterns of aging and their life spans—and that variation is nothing compared to what’s found in other animal and plant species. With The Long and the Short of It, biologist and writer Jonathan Silvertown offers readers a witty and fascinating tour through the scientific study of longevity and aging. Dividing his daunting subject by theme—death, life span, aging, heredity, evolution, and more—Silvertown draws on the latest scientific developments to paint a picture of what we know about how life span, senescence, and death vary within and across species. At every turn, he addresses fascinating questions that have far-reaching implications: What causes aging, and what determines the length of an individual life? What changes have caused the average human life span to increase so dramatically—fifteen minutes per hour—in the past two centuries? If evolution favors those who leave the most descendants, why haven’t we evolved to be immortal? The answers to these puzzles and more emerge from close examination of the whole natural history of life span and aging, from fruit flies, nematodes, redwoods, and much more. The Long and the Short of It pairs a perpetually fascinating topic with a wholly engaging writer, and the result is a supremely accessible book that will reward curious readers of all ages. “Captivating and enlightening.” —The New York Times Well Blog
Download or read book Aging Death and Human Longevity written by Christine Overall and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2003-02-04 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the help of medicine and technology we are living longer than ever before. As human life spans have increased, the moral and political issues surrounding longevity have become more complex. Should we desire to live as long as possible? What are the social ramifications of longer lives? How does a longer life span change the way we think about the value of our lives and about death and dying? Christine Overall offers a clear and intelligent discussion of the philosophical and cultural issues surrounding this difficult and often emotionally charged issue. Her book is unique in its comprehensive presentation and evaluation of the arguments—both ancient and contemporary—for and against prolonging life. It also proposes a progressive social policy for responding to dramatic increases in life expectancy. Writing from a feminist perspective, Overall highlights the ways that our biases about race, class, and gender have affected our views of elderly people and longevity, and her policy recommendations represent an effort to overcome these biases. She also covers the arguments surrounding the question of the "duty to die" and includes a provocative discussion of immortality. After judiciously weighing the benefits and the risks of prolonging human life, Overall persuasively concludes that the length of life does matter and that its duration can make a difference to the quality and value of our lives. Her book will be an essential guide as we consider our social responsibilities, the meaning of human life, and the prospects of living longer.
Download or read book Should We Live Forever written by Gilbert Meilaender and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2013-01-14 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Should We Live Forever? Christian ethicist Gilbert Meilaender puzzles over the implications of the medical advances that have lengthened the human life span, wrestling with what this quest for living longer means for our conception of living well and completely. As he points out in his introduction, "That we often desire, even greedily desire, longer life is clear; whether what we desire is truly desirable is harder to say." The six chapters of this book take multiple perspectives on issues surrounding aging and invite readers to consider whether "indefinitely more life" is something worth pursuing and, if humans are created for life with God, whether longer life will truly satisfy our underlying hunger.
