Posted Sep. 30, 2012, 6:00 am Mirror Staff

The UCLA Longevity Center will host a Healthy Aging Conference, which will take place Saturday, Oct. 27 at the Olympic Collection Conference Center in West Los Angeles.

The conference theme is Healthy Aging Taking Control of Your Life and features a diverse group of speakers that represent the UCLA community and beyond.

Speakers announced include Dr. Gary Small, author and Director of the UCLA Longevity Center; UCLA geriatric physician and researcher Dr. David Merrill; motivational speaker and author Joan Moran; Tim Carpenter, Founder and Executive Director of EngAGE; UCLAs noted couples/sex therapy expert Dr. Walter E. Brackelmanns; Dr. L. Stephen Coles, Director of the LA Gerontology Research Group and the Supercentenarian Research Foundation; and many others.

Panels include:

Nutritious Eating for Healthy Aging

The Centenarians: Life Past the Century Mark

Train Your Brain: Boot Camp For Your Mind

Alzheimers Research Update

Sex After 70

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UCLA Longevity Center’s Healthy Aging Conference Set For Oct. 27

Public release date: 27-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Nuria Noriega nnoriega@cnio.es Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncologicas (CNIO)

A team of researchers from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), headed by CNIO Director Mara Blasco, has demonstrated in a pioneering study on mammals that longevity is defined at a molecular level by the length of telomeres. The workwhich is published today in the online edition of the journal Cell Reportsopens the door to further study of these cellular components in order to calculate the rate at which cells age and thus be able to determine life expectancy for a particular organism.

Chromosomesthe cellular containers holding the genetic information in living creatureshave repetitive sequences of DNA at their extremities called telomeres. These sequences act as hoods that protect the genetic material in the face of any external agent which might damage it and compromise the function of the cells.

Several transversal population studiesmeasuring telomere length once over time in a large group of individualsshow a relationship between the length of the telomeres and the risk of suffering illnessescardiovascular disease or cancer, for example.

Until now, however, the use of telomeric measurements to predict real life expectancy in mammals had not been evaluated.

"In the transversal studies, it appears that individuals with short telomeres have a significantly increased probability of developing illnesses, including cancer. But this information is not applicable to a specific individual", says Blasco.

To determine a real ageing prediction method, the authors of the present study have carried out longitudinal studies of telomere length in mice, in which a single individual is followed over a period of time.

After taking periodic blood samples from the same individual, from which cells were extracted for study, they found that those mice which managed to live longer were not the ones that had longer telomeres at any given age but those in which showed less telomeric shortening over time.

"The important thing is not so much the long telomeres at any given time as the tendency or the evolution of the length of the telomeres over time", says Elsa Vera, lead author of the study.

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CNIO team discovers the first real indicator of longevity in mammals

ScienceDaily (Sep. 27, 2012) A team of researchers from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), headed by CNIO Director Mara Blasco, has demonstrated in a pioneering study on mammals that longevity is defined at a molecular level by the length of telomeres. The work -- which is published September 27 in the online edition of the journal Cell Reports -- opens the door to further study of these cellular components in order to calculate the rate at which cells age and thus be able to determine life expectancy for a particular organism.

Chromosomes -- the cellular containers holding the genetic information in living creatures -- have repetitive sequences of DNA at their extremities called telomeres. These sequences act as hoods that protect the genetic material in the face of any external agent which might damage it and compromise the function of the cells.

Several transversal population studies -- measuring telomere length once over time in a large group of individuals -- show a relationship between the length of the telomeres and the risk of suffering illnesses -- cardiovascular disease or cancer, for example.

Until now, however, the use of telomeric measurements to predict real life expectancy in mammals had not been evaluated.

"In the transversal studies, it appears that individuals with short telomeres have a significantly increased probability of developing illnesses, including cancer. But this information is not applicable to a specific individual," says Blasco.

To determine a real aeing prediction method, the authors of the present study have carried out longitudinal studies of telomere length in mice, in which a single individual is followed over a period of time.

After taking periodic blood samples from the same individual, from which cells were extracted for study, they found that those mice which managed to live longer were not the ones that had longer telomeres at any given age but those in which showed less telomeric shortening over time.

"The important thing is not so much the long telomeres at any given time as the tendency or the evolution of the length of the telomeres over time," says Elsa Vera, lead author of the study.

With this study, Blasco's team suggests using mice as an animal model in longitudinal studies that allow for health prognoses in humans. Blasco says that: "while telomere length in normal mice is much greater than in humans, we have found, surprisingly, that the telomere shortening rate in mice is 100 times faster than in humans, so the old dogma of normal mice not getting old due to the shortening of their telomeres is wrong."

This study further opens the possibility of studying, via the longitudinal examination of these genetic guardians, the real effect of lifestyle choices such as diet, smoking or exercise on individual aging rates.

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First real indicator of longevity in mammals discovered

ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2012) As part of their ongoing research investigating the biology of aging, the greatest risk factor for type 2 diabetes and other serious diseases, scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have identified a new factor -- microRNA processing in fat tissue -- which plays a major role in aging and stress resistance. This finding may lead to the development of treatments that increase stress resistance and longevity and improve metabolism.

The findings appear in the Sept. 5 online edition of Cell Metabolism.

Over the past several years, it has become clear that fat cells (adipocytes) are more than just repositories to store fat. Indeed, fat cells secrete a number of substances that actively influence metabolism and systemic inflammation. Previous studies have found that reducing fat mass by caloric restriction (CR) or surgical or genetic means can promote longevity and stress resistance in species from yeast to primates. However, little is known about how CR and fat reduction produce these beneficial effects. This study investigated one type of molecular mediator -- change in microRNAs (miRNAs) and the processing enzymes required to make them- that is influenced by aging and reversed by caloric restriction. miRNAs are involved in the formation of mature RNA.

Based on studies conducted using human cells, mice and C. elegans (a microscopic worm used as a model organism for aging studies), the researchers demonstrated that levels of multiple miRNAs, decrease in fat tissue (adipose) with age in all three species. This is due to a decrease in the critical enzyme required from converted pre-miRNAs to mature miRNAs, Dicer. In the human study, which compared the miRNA levels in preadipocytes (fat cell precusors) of young, middle-aged and older people, people aged 70 and older had the lowest miRNA levels. "The fact that this change occurs in humans, mice and worms points to its significance as a general and important process," says lead author C. Ronald Kahn, MD, Chief Academic Officer at Joslin Diabetes Center and the Mary K. Iacocca Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Caloric restriction, which has been shown to prolong lifespan and improve stress resistance in both mice and worms, prevents this decline of Dicer, and in the case of the mice, restore miRNAs to levels observed in young mice. Conversely, exposure of adipocytes to major stressors associated with aging and metabolic diseases, including toxic agents, Dicer levels decreased. Mice and worms engineered to have decreased Dicer expression in fat showed increased sensitivity to stress, a sign of premature aging. By contrast, worms engineered to "overexpress" Dicer in the intestine (the adipose tissue equivalent in worms) had greater stress resistance and lived longer.

Overall, these studies showed that regulation of miRNA processing in adipose-related tissues plays an important role in longevity and an organism's ability to respond to age-related and environmental stress. "This study points to a completely new mechanism by which fat might affect lifespan and is the first time that anyone has looked at fat and miRNAs as factors in longevity," according to co-author T. Keith Blackwell, MD, PhD, co-head of Joslin's Section on Islet Cell and Regenerative Biology and Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School.

Based on this study, Blackwell suggests that "finding ways to improve miRNA processing to keep miRNA levels up during aging might have a role in protecting against the stresses of everyday life and the development of age- and stress-related disease."

Dr. Kahn and the study investigators are currently working on ways to genetically control Dicer levels in the fat tissues of mice, to create mouse models that are more or less resistant to stress. "We would love to find drugs that would mimic this genetic manipulation to produce a beneficial effect," says Dr. Kahn. "If we can better understand the biology of aging, we might also understand how age impacts diabetes," says Kahn.

Study co-authors include Marcelo A. Mori, Prashant Raghavan, Jeremie Boucher, Stacey Robida-Stubbs, Yazmin Macotela, Steven J. Russell, and T. Keith Blackwell of Joslin; and James L. Kirkland and Thomas Thomou of the Mayo Clinic.

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Molecular process in fat cells that influences stress and longevity identified

A study tracking Korean eunuchs during the Chosun Dynasty shows they lived 14 to 19 years longer than their counterparts.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(TIME.com) -- Talk about a longevity strategy no man wants to pursue. A recent study published in the journal Current Biology finds that Korean eunuchs castrated men lived 14 to 19 years longer than other men, suggesting that male sex hormones play a role in life span.

In the study, the researchers used a genealogy record called the Yang-Se-Gye-Bo that tracked eunuchs who worked in the Korean imperial court during the Chosun Dynasty, which ruled from the 14th to early 20th centuries.

Researchers were able to identify 81 eunuchs, who were castrated as boys, and determined that they lived to an average age of 70, significantly longer than other men of similar social status. Even kings didn't typically make it to age 50.

Three of the 81 eunuchs lived to 100, a centenarian rate that's far higher than would be expected in modern society. The current incidence of centenarians is 1 per 3,500 people in Japan, and 1 per 4,400 people in the United States, for instance; thus, the incidence of centenarians among Korean eunuchs was at least 130 times higher than that of present-day developed countries, according to the paper.

TIME.com: Want to live longer? Don't try caloric restriction

"Our study supports the idea that male sex hormones decrease the lifespan of men," the authors write.

Based on earlier research, the authors argue that one explanation for this could be that male sex hormones may negatively influence the immune system and "predispose men to adverse cardiovascular attacks." They note further that the theory helps explain why females -- in many species -- live longer than males.

But while animal studies have suggested that castration (which removes the testes, the source of male hormones) results in longer lives, studies in humans have been spotty. In one study of castrati singers, there was no difference in lifespan between them and non-castrated singers; in another study of institutionalized, mentally ill men, however, those who were castrated lived some 14 years longer than those who weren't.

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Do eunuchs really live longer?

Media Release

Date: 20th September 2012

Longevity Revolution Means Broader Role for Chiropractice Australasian Meeting Told

The longevity revolution epitomised by ageing baby boomers means a broader role for chiropractors in helping people with decreased muscle or bone density and balance issues which add to the risk of falling, a conference of New Zealand, Australian and International chiropractors in Auckland was told this week.

The conference during the weekend (14th-16th September) organised by the New Zealand College of Chiropractic heard that the implications of the baby boomer generation reaching retirement age meant healthcare providers needed a better understanding of the unique role chiropractic can play. Delegates learned about the various chiropractic techniques best suited to the elderly, how to effectively manage any rare associated risks and also a better idea of the expectations that seniors have of their care.

Dr Graham Dobson, chiropractor, Director of the Technique Department at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic told the meeting that chiropractic had: `a vital part to play in reducing pain and the need for pharmaceuticals, increasing joint mobility and improved overall quality of life by helping to maintain function and a positive attitude.

He noted that chiropractic care has often been associated only with the management of limited musculoskeletal disorders by the application of spinal manipulative therapy but that increasingly chiropractors were using multiple techniques to assist the patient as a whole by addressing the nervous system, not only his or her musculoskeletal symptoms. Research is beginning to point at chiropractic as having a role to play in the multi disciplinary management of people with conditions such as sarcopenia (muscle loss) and osteoporosis.

However, Dr Dobson warned that it is important for chiropractors to evaluate older patients carefully to take account of factors such as osteoporosis, multiple interactions of prescription medications as well as the risk of falls.

Research into how chiropractic care for older people may reduce injuries and even deaths from falls is being conducted by Auckland University and the Centre for Chiropractic Research (CCR) at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic.

According to Chiropractor, PhD candidate and principal investigator of the study Dr Kelly Holt, falls often occur due to a decline in nervous system function with advancing age. This can lead to a loss of balance, or poor control of the limbs, which dramatically increases the risk of falling.

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Longevity Revolution Means Broader Role for Chiropractice

The longevity revolution epitomised by ageing baby boomers means a broader role for chiropractors in helping people with decreased muscle or bone density and balance issues which add to the risk of falling, a conference of New Zealand, Australian and International chiropractors in Auckland was told this week.

The conference during the weekend (14th-16th September) organised by the New Zealand College of Chiropractic heard that the implications of the baby boomer generation reaching retirement age meant healthcare providers needed a better understanding of the unique role chiropractic can play. Delegates learned about the various chiropractic techniques best suited to the elderly, how to effectively manage any rare associated risks and also a better idea of the expectations that seniors have of their care.

Dr Graham Dobson, chiropractor, Director of the Technique Department at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic told the meeting that chiropractic had: a vital part to play in reducing pain and the need for pharmaceuticals, increasing joint mobility and improved overall quality of life by helping to maintain function and a positive attitude.

He noted that chiropractic care has often been associated only with the management of limited musculoskeletal disorders by the application of spinal manipulative therapy but that increasingly chiropractors were using multiple techniques to assist the patient as a whole by addressing the nervous system, not only his or her musculoskeletal symptoms. Research is beginning to point at chiropractic as having a role to play in the multi disciplinary management of people with conditions such as sarcopenia (muscle loss) and osteoporosis.

However, Dr Dobson warned that it is important for chiropractors to evaluate older patients carefully to take account of factors such as osteoporosis, multiple interactions of prescription medications as well as the risk of falls.

Research into how chiropractic care for older people may reduce injuries and even deaths from falls is being conducted by Auckland University and the Centre for Chiropractic Research (CCR) at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic.

According to Chiropractor, PhD candidate and principal investigator of the study Dr Kelly Holt, falls often occur due to a decline in nervous system function with advancing age. This can lead to a loss of balance, or poor control of the limbs, which dramatically increases the risk of falling.

Dr Holt says: Already it is estimated that in New Zealand slips, trips and falls cost almost $300 million per year in treatment and rehabilitation costs and as the population ages this will likely get worse. He says that falls result in approximately 450 deaths per year in New Zealand and for older adults in particular, a fall can lead to a downward spiral that involves a loss of confidence, a cessation of day to day activities and eventually increased frailty and even death.

For further information on the New Zealand Chiropractors Association visit http://www.chiropractic.org.nz.

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Longevity revolution 'means broader role for chiropractors'

BOULDER, CO--(Marketwire - Sep 10, 2012) - The Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), which serves as the bridge between older people and opportunities for them to continue in productive activities, is hosting its third meeting in the "Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers" series on Thursday, October 11. The meeting will be held in Wieboldt Hall on the Chicago campus of Northwestern University/Kellogg School. To register and view the agenda, visit http://www.ctrpl.org/october-11-2012. Participants must be 50 and older.

The meetings are designed to facilitate a national momentum for new-business creation, which will help Baby Boomers remain productively engaged while contributing to national economic growth. AARP, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) and CPL are sponsors of the meeting, along with other organizations.

The day will include presentations from successful entrepreneurs over the age of 50 and two rounds of interactive breakout sessions on topics relating to new-business creation and how to become an entrepreneur.

The featured speakers include:

The "Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers" meeting is limited to 125 participants on a first-come basis. The charge of $35 per person covers a spouse, if desired, and a post-meeting workshop on the "how-tos" of creating a new business. Registrations must be made by October 1 at http://www.ctrpl.org/october-11-2012.

A block of hotel rooms for this meeting is reserved at the MileNorth Hotel, one block away, at a discounted rate of $175.

This is one in a series of four meetings, organized by CPL. The first was held at the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, MO on March 27, and the second is being held at Babson College in Wellesley, MA on September 14; the fourth meeting will be held at the University of Denver on November 15.

For more information on CPL and the senior entrepreneurship meetings, visit http://www.ctrpl.org or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CTRPL.

About the Center for Productive Longevity The mission of CPL is to stimulate the substantially increased engagement of people 55 and older in productive activities, paid and volunteer, where they are qualified and ready to continue adding value. Visit ctrpl.org for more information. Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CTRPL.

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Upcoming Meeting at Northwestern University/Kellogg School Helps Baby Boomers Learn About Later-Life Entrepreneurship

Published: Sept. 6, 2012 at 5:12 PM

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Researchers in Sardinia say the longevity of the world's oldest siblings -- nine brothers and sisters ages 105-78 -- was due to good genes and a good diet.

"Italian newspapers reported that the Melis family had been recognized by [Guinness World Records] as officially being the world's oldest siblings," Phil Lempert, a food industry analyst, trend watcher and creator of supermarketguru.com, said in a statement.

"Residing on the island of Sardinia the nine brothers and sisters total 818 years between them. Consolata, the oldest, just turned 105, followed by Claudia 99, Maria 97, Antonio 93, Concetta 91, Adolfo 89, Vitalio 86, Vitalia 81, and Mafalda 78. Consolata has nine children, 24 grand children and 25 great-grand children."

Researchers at the University of Sassari in Sardinia said the family's longevity might be due to genetics, strong family traditions and the seasonal fruits and vegetables -- particularly pears, prunes, or plums -- that they consumed as part of their Mediterranean diet.

For example, pears are high in flavonoids when eaten with the skin, which contains about half of the fruit's dietary fiber -- beneficial in preventing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer. The pears are also high in phytonutrients as well carotenoids -- providing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protection, Lempert said.

"The high antioxidant content, combined with carotenoids in plums and prunes has been found to ward off macular degeneration, as well as being another good source of fiber," Lempert said.

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Longevity linked to good genes, good diet

5th September 2012 0 Comments

By Paul Kleyman Contributing Writer

CHICAGO (Special from New America Media) The longevity gap between two Americas has widened since 1990, says a new study. One America is mostly white and well educated, and the other is ethnic or undereducated and dying about decade sooner than their more affluent counterparts.

The gap between college-educated whites and African Americans who did not complete high school is simply unbelievable, stated S. Jay Olshansky, lead author of the extensive new analysis published in the August issue of the prestigious health policy journal Health Affairs.

Former nurse Ollie Burton, shown last year at age 103 at the Kissito Healthcare's nursing home in Midland, Tex., represents the longevity exception.

The researchers, who crunched mortality numbers in key databases from 1990-2008, found that white men in the United States with 16 years or more of schooling had life expectancy at birth 14.2 years longer than African American males with fewer than 12 years of education. The gulf between well-educated white women and black women with low educational levels was 10.3 years.

The research study is published with the stark title, Differences in Life Expectancy Due to Race and Educational Differences Are Widening, and Many May Not Catch Up. It is the latest publication by a the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society, a roster of 15 leading academic experts in aging and longevity.

Low Education Shortens Life for All Groups

The report shows that lower educational levels marked declining life expectancy within every demographic group examined.

The gap between black women of high versus low educational levels was 6.5 years, and for Latinas the difference was 2.9 years. For males the longevity gaps were 12.9 years among whites, 9.7 years among blacks and 5.5 years for Hispanics.

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Lost decades — Longevity gains decline for Blacks, Latinos and less educated

BOULDER, CO--(Marketwire -09/04/12)- The Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), which serves as the bridge between people 55 and older and opportunities that enable them to continue in productive activities, has just increased its maximum number of participants from 125 to 150 because the topic has such fundamental importance, with unemployment high and economic growth low for the foreseeable future.

"New-business creation is the backbone of the U.S. economy, as well as the engine for increased employment and economic growth," said William Zinke, President of CPL.

The meeting at Babson College on September 14, titled "Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers," has an outstanding line-up of speakers:

There will be two breakout sessions focused on how to become an entrepreneur, with topics ranging from the risks and rewards to developing strategies for recognizing potential business opportunities to developing a business plan.

With 30 years added to longevity during the 20th century and the average age of retirement at 62, new-business creation is an important path to consider for older people who either want or need to continue working. It provides an opportunity for people with experience, expertise, seasoned judgment, proven performance and some accumulated wisdom to be their own boss and "march to their own drummer."

Additional meetings will be held at Northwestern University/Kellogg School of Management in Chicago on October 11, and the University of Denver-University College on November 15. One goal of these four meetings in different parts of the country is to contribute to the growing wave of entrepreneurship throughout the U.S. For more information on CPL and the senior entrepreneurship meetings, visit http://www.ctrpl.org or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CTRPL.

About the Center for Productive LongevityThe mission of CPL is to stimulate the substantially increased engagement of people 55 and older in productive activities, paid and volunteer, where they are qualified and ready to continue adding value. Visit ctrpl.org for more information. Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CTRPL.

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Center for Productive Longevity Announces an Excellent Line-Up of Speakers for the Baby Boomers Entrepreneurship ...

CHICAGOThe longevity gap between two Americas has widened since 1990, says a new study. One America is mostly white and well educated, and the other is ethnic or undereducated and dying about decade sooner than their more affluent counterparts.

The gap between college-educated whites and African Americans who did not complete high school is simply unbelievable, stated S. Jay Olshansky, lead author of the extensive new analysis published in the August issue of the prestigious health policy journal Health Affairs.

The researchers, who crunched mortality numbers in key databases from 1990-2008, found that white men in the United States with 16 years or more of schooling had life expectancy at birth 14.2 years longer than African American males with fewer than 12 years of education. The gulf between well-educated white women and black women with low educational levels was 10.3 years.

The research study is published with the stark title, Differences in Life Expectancy Due to Race and Educational Differences Are Widening, and Many May Not Catch Up. It is the latest publication by a the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society, a roster of 15 leading academic experts in aging and longevity.

Low Education Shortens Life for All Groups

The report shows that lower educational levels marked declining life expectancy within every demographic group examined.

The gap between black women of high versus low educational levels was 6.5 years, and for Latinas the difference was 2.9 years. For males the longevity gaps were 12.9 years among whites, 9.7 years among blacks and 5.5 years for Hispanics.

Whats more, the picture for those with fewer than 12 years of education has grown notably worse for whites, says the study. In terms of educational status whites at the bottom are losing ground at a faster pace than those at the top.

The gulf between white women is especially wide, says the report. Those with 12 years or less of education were living just over a decade (10.4 years) less than white American females with at least 16 years of schooling.

The two Americasthose with very high versus very low educationare in a longevity time warp, Olshansky asserted.

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Lost Decades—Longevity Gains Decline for Blacks, Latinos and Less Educated

A pair of 27-year-old monkeys are part of a national study that failed to find a longevity benefit to calorie restrictions. The one on the left consumed 30 percent fewer calories than the monkey on the right.

National Institute on Aging

Enlarge photo

SALT LAKE CITY Restricting calories may extend the life of rodents, but it doesn't seem to increase longevity for monkeys, according to surprise findings in a much-anticipated study published this week by the journal Nature. Monkeys do, however, get some health benefits from consuming fewer calories.

Many earlier studies suggested that restricting calories adds years to life in lab-bred rodents. The findings were so compelling, in fact, that many scientists and others have curbed their own caloric intake in anticipation of reaping extra years. Caloric restriction decreases calories by as much as 40 percent, but maintains the nutrients found in a standard diet.

Drug manufacturers have sought drugs that would "mimic the salutary effects of a skimpy diet without triggering severe hunger pangs," according to an article in the Wall Street Journal.

The new research, collected over 30 years (because that's the outer lifespan of monkeys), casts doubt on whether the benefits found for rodents would extend to people, since monkeys and humans are primates and more similar genetically.

"One thing that's becoming clear is that calorie restriction is not a Holy Grail for extending the lifespan of everything that walks on earth," Rafael de Cabo, an experimental gerontologist in the U.S. National Institute on Aging and lead study author, told WSJ.

To test the calorie restriction theory, the NIA scientists restricted by 30 percent the diets fed two sets of monkeys. The first group included monkeys ages 1 to 14, while the other group was made up of older monkeys, 16 to 23. They were compared to similar groups with more normal diets.

The male animals on calorie restriction had lower cholesterol; the females didn't. Cancer incidence appeared to fall with caloric restriction, but heart disease increased slightly. Age-related diseases, however, appeared a bit later in calorie-restricted animals.

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Calorie restriction doesn't add years of life, at least to monkeys

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (MMC), a global professional services firm providing advice and solutions in risk, strategy and human capital, and the Stanford Center on Longevity, a research center at Stanford University, today announced that the two organizations will collaborate to raise awareness and preparedness around lifetime financial security. As part of its previously announced commitment to fund retirement policy exploration, Marsh & McLennan Companies will contribute $1.5 million through 2013 to support the Stanford Center on Longevitys studies and activities related to financial security.

Marsh & McLennan Companies is eager to advance awareness and education around issues related to retirement and aging populations. Two aspects of those issuesincreased longevity and financial securityare top of mind for governments, businesses and individuals, said Brian Duperreault, President and CEO of Marsh & McLennan Companies. Through our Companys support of the Stanford Center on Longevity, we will take part in forward-looking dialogue on these issues and work to be a catalyst for new ideas and perspectives that benefit the greater good of the aging population and of future generations, Mr. Duperreault concluded.

It is a privilege for the Stanford Center on Longevity to receive this support for our programs from Marsh & McLennan Companies, said Laura Carstensen, Founding Director of the Stanford Center on Longevity. Our Center aims to connect with the best thinkers, business leaders and policy makers, and we look forward to the insights Marsh & McLennan Companies will provide based on its deep expertise in risk, strategy and human capital.

Michele Burns, who previously served as Chairman and CEO of Mercer, a subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, and was named to lead Marsh & McLennan Companies retirement policy center exploration last year, will serve as Center Fellow and Strategic Advisor to the Stanford Center on Longevity. She will join Founding Director Laura Carstensen, PhD and Deputy Director Thomas Rando, MD, PhD in providing strategic guidance for the overall efforts of the Center and development of the Financial Security Division of the Center.

In exploring how Marsh & McLennan Companies could have the greatest impact in the retirement policy arena, the Stanford Center on Longevity emerged as an excellent partner, said Michele Burns. The Center brings a unique perspective to issues facing our society by rethinking the perceived problems around an aging populationchallenges such as retirement planning and the need to work longerand finding value in the opportunities these challenges present.

The Centers Financial Security Division, in collaboration with Marsh & McLennan Companies, will examine these issues from multiple perspectives, ranging from individual financial capability, the changing nature and role of work, common financial pitfalls such as fraud, and the resulting key policy issues. The goal is to help drive the dialogue forward in order to facilitate a healthier state of long-term financial securityboth for the individual and society. I am very proud to work with the Stanford Center on Longevity on these issues and to contribute to solutions that can make a difference for us all, Ms. Burns concluded.

The two organizations recently collaborated on a conference that brought together contributors from business, academia and government to address retirement planning in the age of longevity. The insights discussed at the conference are being used to inform the Stanford Center on Longevitys financial security agenda as well as recommendations for future policy and research. The Centers Financial Security Division will also launch an expanded web presence this fall that will highlight the Divisions work and will also serve as an information resource for key stakeholders.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

MARSH & McLENNAN COMPANIES (MMC) is a global team of professional services companies offering clients advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy and human capital. Marsh is a global leader in insurance broking andrisk management; Guy Carpenter is a global leader in providing risk and reinsurance intermediary services; Mercer is a global leader in human resource consulting and related services; and Oliver Wyman is a global leader in management consulting. Marsh & McLennan Companies 53,000 colleagues worldwide provide analysis, advice and transactional capabilities to clients in more than 100 countries. The Company prides itself on being a responsible corporate citizen and making a positive impact in the communities in which it operates. Visit http://www.mmc.com for more information.

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Marsh & McLennan Companies Partners with Stanford Center on Longevity to Foster Lifetime Financial Security Preparedness

The longevity diet's premise is seductively simple: cutting your calorie intake well below your usual diet will add years to your life.

New research published on Wednesday, however, shows the extreme, emaciating diet doesn't increase lifespan in rhesus monkeys, the closest human relatives to try it in a rigorous, long-running study. While caveats remain, outside experts regarded the findings as definitive, particularly when combined with those from a similar study.

"If there's a way to manipulate the human diet to let us live longer, we haven't figured it out yet and it may not exist," said biologist Steven Austad of the University of Texas Health Science Center's Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, who wrote an analysis of the study in Nature.

Since 1934, research has shown that lab rats, mice, yeast, fruit flies and round worms fed 10 percent to 40 percent fewer calories than their free-eating peers lived some 30 percent longer. In some studies, they lived twice as long.

Such findings have spawned a growing community of believers who seek better health and longer life in calorie-restricted (CR)diets, as promised in the 2005 book "The Longevity Diet," including 5,000 members of the CR Society International. The research has also prompted companies like Procter & Gamble and Nu Skin Enterprises to develop drugs to mimic the effects of calorie restriction.

The new study, from the National Institute on Aging, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, suggests a surprising disconnect between health and lifespan. It found that most of the 57 calorie-restricted monkeys had healthier hearts and immune systems and lower rates of diabetes, cancer or other ills than the 64 control monkeys. But there was no longevity pay-off.

"You can argue that the calorie-restricted animals are healthier," said Austad. "They have better cholesterol profiles, less muscle loss, less disease. But it didn't translate into greater longevity. What we learn from this is you can un-link health and longevity."

Younger immune systems, less heart disease

The NIA study, launched in 1987, is one of two investigating whether eating just 70 percent of the calories in a standard lab diet extends life in a long-lived primate. The Wisconsin National Primate Research Center's study, begun in 1989, also uses rhesus monkeys, whose physiology, genetics and median lifespan (27 years) are closer to humans than are the rodents in earlier calorie-restriction research.

Initial results were promising. In 2006 the NIA group reported that calorie-restricted monkeys had younger-seeming immune systems. Wisconsin reported that after 20 years of eating like birds, the monkeys were less likely to get heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other diseases of aging.

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Chew on this: Starving yourself may not help longevity

28-08-2012 19:00 Music video by Yeasayer performing Longevity. (P) 2012 The copyright in this audiovisual recording is owned by Secretly Canadian under exclusive licence to Mute Artists Ltd

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Yeasayer - Longevity - Video

In a long-awaited study, underfed monkeys didnt have longer life spans, raising doubts that severe calorie restriction could result in extended lives for most animals and possibly humans.

In research going back more than 75 years, a sharp reduction in caloric intake has been associated with increased longevity. The initial work was done with mice and rats but was later corroborated in other laboratory subjects such as fruit flies and worms, raising hopes that it would apply to humans.

But those hopes are being dimmed by the results published Wednesday online by the journal Nature. The National Institute on Aging study, begun in 1987, involved rhesus monkeys, which are much closer to humans, both genetically and in average longevity, than previous test subjects.

The scientists, led by Julie Mattison, were surprised to find that calorie restriction the treated monkeys ate 30percent fewer calories than those in the control group didnt affect life spans.

It did confer some health benefits, reducing the incidence of cancer and diabetes. It slightly raised the incidence of cardiovascular diseases.

The monkeys were started on their restricted diets either when the animals were young or in middle age. Now, more than two decades later, about half the monkeys that were underfed from a young age are still alive the same as in the control group. The scientists calculated, with a probability of 99.9percent, that the calorie-restricted animals will not survive longer than the animals in the control group. The monkeys that were already older when they were put on the diet have all died. The oldest died at 40, the same as for the corresponding control animals.

These results conflict with a 2009 study, conducted at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center. Although scientists there did not find that calorie restriction had a significant effect on life span, they did report a trend toward longer life and healthier aging for some of the treated monkeys.

Things were going well for the treated monkeys at the beginning of the National Institute on Aging study, but around the time the Wisconsin researchers published their work, we noticed that for our monkeys, things were not going so well, Mattison said. The treated animals started dying at the same rate as the controls.

Both Mattison and Ricki Colman, the researcher who was the lead author of the 2009 paper, stressed that their studies werent meant to compete with each other and that they had many differences, including diet composition, treatment of diseases and ages of the animals at the beginning of the experiments. Both studies will keep going until all the animals die.

But Mattison acknowledged that the primate research hadnt fulfilled the high expectations of the rodent research. In the rodent studies, you would reduce caloric intake by 10 or 20percent and increase life span by the same amount, she said. But in primates and probably humans, things seem to be much more complicated.

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Low-calorie diet not linked with longevity in monkeys, study finds

BOULDER, CO--(Marketwire -08/23/12)- With the deadline of August 31 quickly approaching, people 50 and older are encouraged to submit their story to the Center for Productive Longevity's (CPL) Later-Life Story Contest as soon as possible. The contest has two categories: (1) Entrepreneurship Success Stories and (2) Inspirational Life Stories, with one winner in each category who will receive $1,000 and a specially designed display trophy. CPL has selected a panel of three independent judges who will choose one winner in each category, and their selections will be announced on October 1, 2012.

"We have received a number of fascinating entries and are excited to share these stories with people of all ages," says William Zinke, 85, founder and president of Center for Productive Longevity. "However, we know that there are more people out there who are moving the needle, making a difference, inspiring others and bringing new businesses to life. We want to hear from you, too!"

With 30 years added to longevity in the 20th century, people are leading active and fulfilled lives into their 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond. The goal of this contest is to demonstrate that older people in America can continue to lead successful and inspirational lives. Once the contest deadline has passed, CPL will select a variety of entrepreneur success stories to post on its website, highlighting the stories of the two winners.

Entries should be under 1,200 words and are easy to submit. Visit http://www.ctrpl.org/laterlifestorycontest to complete a submission form. Entrants must be 50 and older and be willing to have their story posted on the CPL website for viewing and for possible publication. Stories may also be sent to James Hooks at jhooks@ctrpl.org.

For more information on CPL and the Later-Life Story Contest for older entrepreneurs, visit http://www.ctrpl.org or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CTRPL.

CPL is also currently working on the finishing touches for the next meetings in its "Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers" series. The meetings are designed to contribute to a national momentum for new-business creation, which enables Baby Boomers to remain productively engaged and also facilitates national economic growth.

The meetings, designed for people 50 and older, are being held at Babson College in Wellesley, MA on September 14, Northwestern University/Kellogg School of Management in Chicago on October 11, and the University of Denver on November 15. To register and view preliminary agendas, visit http://www.ctrpl.org/entrepreneurship-meeting/overview.

About the Center for Productive LongevityThe mission of CPL is to stimulate the substantially increased engagement of people 55 and older in productive activities, paid and volunteer, where they are qualified and ready to continue adding value. Visit ctrpl.org for more information. Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CTRPL.

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Last Call for Submissions to the Center for Productive Longevity's Later-Life Story Contest

22 August 2012 Last updated at 06:51 ET

The eldest of a group of Sardinian siblings hailed for their longevity is celebrating her 105th birthday.

Consolata Melis is the eldest of the nine Melis siblings, whose combined age totals over 881 years and 205 days.

Her Mediterranean island home is known for the longevity of its residents, claiming to have 370 centenarians.

Ms Melis, from Perdasdefogu village in south-eastern Sardinia, has nine children, 24 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

Her three brothers and five sisters are also in good shape, with Claudia, 99, still attending weekly masses and Adolfo, 89, running a local bar.

The youngest Mafalda, 78, is their "baby sister".

The Mediterranean island has long been be the subject of research for the longevity of its residents, and explanations range from genetics to hard work.

Luca Deiana, professor of clinical biochemistry at the University of Sassari in Sardinia, said: "On the one hand it is about genetics, about inherited longevity... but there is also the bounty of the land and the local fruit, particularly pears and prunes."

The researcher, who has studied more than 2,000 people over the age of 100 for the past 15 years, told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that "strong local family traditions" also contributed to the longevity of the Sardinians.

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Elderly Sardinian siblings party

There ain't nothin' wrong with a little wub and grind. Yeasayer's third album, Fragrant World, is out today on Secretly Canadian, and last night they returned to Late Night With Jimmy Fallon to perform "Longevity," a cyborg slow jam with rattling, post-dubstep sub-bass. The smoldering violin solo had to be piped in, but otherwise, the dancing, zoned-in band appeared to be taking their own carpe-diem/YOLO advice: "Live in the moment / Never count on longevity," Yeasayer singer Chris Keating repeats. Your mind might be telling you no, but your body, your body is telling you yes.

Read our Q&A: Yeasayer on Not Being the 'New Cool Band' Anymore

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See Yeasayer Play Dubsteppy Slow Jam 'Longevity' on 'Fallon'