Slowing aging 'may be the best way to fight diseases in 21st century'

London, July 9 (ANI): Experts believe that slowing the aging process can be the best way to fight diseases in 21st century.

S. Jay Olshansky, professor of epidemiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health and senior author said that middle-aged and older people are at a greater risk of developing diseases and cure for any of the major fatal diseases would have only a marginal impact on life expectancy and the length of healthy life,

"The traditional medical approach of attacking individual diseases -- cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease -- will soon become less effective if we do not determine how all of these diseases either interact or share common mechanisms with aging," British Medical Journal quoted Olshansky, as saying.

The authors said that all living things, including humans, possess biochemical mechanisms that influence the aging process and through dietary intervention or genetic alteration, it is possible to extend lifespan to postpone aging-related processes and diseases.

They believe that further research in laboratory models is expected to provide clues and deeper understanding of how existing interventions, such as exercise and good nutrition, may lead to lifelong well-being.

"We believe that the potential benefits of slowing aging processes have been underrecognized by most of the scientific community," said Olshansky.

"We call on the health-research decision-makers to allocate substantial resources to support and develop practical interventions that slow aging in people," he added. (ANI)