The Retirement Newsletter: Getting old — is seventy the new sixty? (Part one of three)
Issue Number: 196 (49) — the joys of ageing
Welcome
Welcome to issue 196 (49) — Getting old — is seventy the new sixty?
In the last couple of newsletters, I have looked at how we can support, protect and improve our physical and mental health in retirement:
Issue 194 (47) — Looking after your physical health in retirement
Issue 195 (48) — Looking after your mental health in retirement
While I have said that our physical and mental health are linked, we can view them as part of the ageing process. Hence, if we look after our physical and mental health, we can (hopefully) slow the ageing process.
This started as one newsletter edition, but after I finished writing it, I realised that there was far too much content for one issue, so I split it into three.
This week, I will examine ageing and ask what is ageing. In the second newsletter, I will discuss how we might slow the ageing process. In this series’s third and final newsletter, I will attempt to answer the question I posed in the title — is seventy the new sixty?
So, first up — what is ageing?
What is ageing?
Now, that is an interesting question. Why do we age?
As someone with a background in biochemistry and cell biology (I have a PhD in biochemistry and have taught undergraduates cell biology and biochemistry for over 25 years), I have a cell biology/biochemistry perspective on ageing.
Ageing is a complex biological process influenced by our genetics, environmental factors, and lifestyle. It is multifactorial, and while environmental factors and lifestyle influence how we age, genetics plays a big part. But what are some of the things that influence how our bodies age?
Well, here are seven things that play a big part in ageing:
1. Cellular damage
Over time, our cells accumulate damage from environmental stresses, such as UV radiation (sunlight), pollution, and toxins. This leads to mutations (changes in our DNA), which can result in cellular malfunction and tissue degradation.
Now, in terms of our DNA (the molecule that defines how our body is made and functions — the blueprint or plans if you like), our cells have a lot of specialised repair mechanisms that can correct the damage. So, don’t panic. However, sometimes, these repair mechanisms don’t work as well as they should or we would like and the damage accumulates.
2. Telomere shortening
This is an interesting one.
DNA (see above), which is in every cell in our body (except red blood cells), can be viewed as a long piece of string, and we all know what can happen to the end of a piece of string over time the ends can become damaged, they can fray and start to unravel. To prevent this damage, there are little caps of repeated DNA called telomeres to protect the ends of the DNA. However, every time a cell divides and makes a copy of itself, the telomeres get shortened until they become too short to allow further cell division, and this leads to ageing and cell death.
The shortening of the telomeres effectively limits the number of times a cell can divide. Hence, it limits the number of times a cell can divide to repair damage to tissues and organs in our bodies.
3. Genetic programming
As we develop from a single fertilised cell to a complex multicellular human, different genes (a gene is a part of the DNA molecule (the plan) that give the code to make the proteins that do the work in the cell to make us what we are) are turned on and off to control the development.
There is a suggestion that ageing is a programmed process controlled by our genes. That is, specific genes may regulate lifespan by turning biological processes on or off over time. Hence, our genetic program drives ageing.
4. Mitochondrial decline
Mitochondria, the energy-producing parts of our cells, become less efficient and generate more free radicals as we age, leading to oxidative stress and cellular damage. (The mitochondria have their own DNA so what I said above in point one about DNA damage also applies to the mitochondria.)
OK, so what does that mean? Well, mitochondria, the powerhouses in our cells, can be viewed as little power generators. As we age, these generators become less efficient and produce more pollutants (free radicals) in the cell. These free radicals, like pollution, damage the environment, which is the cell. The damaged cell then no longer works correctly and dies.
5. Loss of stem cells
Stem cells are responsible for regenerating tissues. As we age, our stem cells become less effective, reducing the body’s ability to repair itself.
You can think of a stem cell as being like a lump of clay. The lump of clay can be fashioned into whatever the potter wants to make — a jug, a mug, a pot, etc. — you get the idea. The stem cell is the starting cell for making other cells. However, like other cells in the body, stem cells can experience mitochondrial decline (see number four above). Their telomeres will shorten as they divide to make the new cells the body needs (see number two above). And they can experience cellular damage (point one above).
Essentially, our bodies run out of basic building materials to make the repairs needed.
6. Inflammation and immune system decline
Chronic inflammation and a weakened immune system contribute to age-related diseases such as heart disease, arthritis, and neurodegenerative conditions.
Inflammation is part of our body’s immune system’s defence against infection. However, as we age, changes in our immune system, cellular stress, and lifestyle cause an increase in inflammation and this causes disease.
Our immune system weakens as we age, making us less capable of fighting off infections and tackling cancer.
The immune system, like all systems in the body, relies on its cells to function, and these cells are susceptible to damage (point one), telomere shortening (point two), mitochondrial decline (point four) and a loss of stem cells (point five). I recall reading about a woman a few years ago who was over 100 years old, and when researchers examined her immune system, they discovered that one type of specialised immune cells was being produced by just two surviving stem cells. Over the 100+ years, all the other stem cells that produced this specialised immune cell had been lost.
7. Metabolic waste accumulation
Cells produce waste as a byproduct of metabolism. Over time, our body’s ability to clear out this waste declines, leading to cellular dysfunction and age-related diseases.
Your views?
What do you think? Have I missed anything? Please let me know in the comments.
What can we do?
So above, I have given seven ways, at a cellular level, by which our bodies can age. But can we do anything about the processes to slow ageing?
Next week’s newsletter will look at steps to slow the ageing process.
Useful links
Some useful UK mental health links:
Samaritans phone 116 123 — https://www.samaritans.org
No Panic (anxiety) 0300 772 9844 — http://www.nopanic.org.uk/
Non-Emergency NHS Helpline: 111 — https://www.nhs.uk
Mind — Side by Side — https://sidebyside.mind.org.uk
Some Mental Health Apps you might like to try:
SAM App — Anxiety Management — https://mindgarden-tech.co.uk/
Smiling Mind — Mindfulness App — https://www.smilingmind.com.au/smiling-mind-app
General Health Websites:
National Health Service, UK — https://www.nhs.uk/
National Institute of Heath, USA — https://www.nih.gov/
Next week
Next week, in issue 197 (50), I will examine ways to slow the ageing process.
Thanks
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Until next time,
Nick
PS: If you would like to contribute something to the newsletter — a story, advice, or anything else — please get in touch.