Common Sense on Aging and the Role of Medicine

Ronald Bailey, who has written on and off on the topic of longevity science for about as long as I've been paying attention to the subject myself, here outlines a common sense view of aging and its treatment as a medical condition. That more people are stepping up to make reasoned arguments along these lines is a sign of progress. At the large scale and over the long term, the research that is carried out is that which is supported and understood, at least in outline, by the public at large. Lines of research that aim to control the causes of aging and thereby prevent and cure all age-related disease is not yet widely supported or appreciated, and this is why such research is still a minority concern in the scientific community. There is much work left to be done for patient advocates. In the 21st century, almost everything that kills people, except for accidents and other unintentional causes of death, has been classified as a disease. Aging kills, so it's past time to declare it a disease too and seek cures for it. In 2015, a group of European gerontologists persuasively argued for doing just that. They rejected the common fatalistic notion that aging "constitutes a natural and universal process, while diseases are seen as deviations from the normal state." A century ago osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, and senility were considered part of normal aging, but now they are classified as diseases and treated. "There is no disputing the fact that...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs