By Sky News Online
Scientists are on the verge of developing a ‘long life’ super pill which could help people live past 100, according to experts.
The drug, which could be ready for testing within three years, is designed to mimic the actions of three ‘super genes’ which all significantly increase the chances of living past 100.
Two of the genes increase the production of so-called good cholesterol in the body, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, while the third helps to prevent diabetes.
People born with the genes are 20 times more likely to live past 100, and 80% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s.
Even being overweight or a heavy smoker does not stop a third of those with the genes reaching a century.
The genes were discovered in a group of 500 Ashkenazi Jews living in New York with an average age of 100.
They were chosen after previous studies found they had a very specific genetic footprint because their bloodline had been kept very pure.
Although a third of the group were obese or had smoked two packets of cigarettes a day for more than 40 years, they all shared the three genes that extended life expectancy.
Those with the longevity genes had a one in 500 chance of reaching the age of 100, compared with a one in 10,000 chance in the rest of the population.
Dr Nir Barzilai, a director at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, said that several laboratories were now in the process of creating a pill to trigger the same effects as the genes.
He expects the first of the drugs to be ready for testing within three years.
Nar ben meah umas
at a point, what do u do? u cant do much work when ur old, u cant do much on your own anyways… i know u want to live as much as you can, but if your hands shake and your weak and you end up living in a lonley old age home, why would you want to take this pill? dont get me wrong, if you can live it out well, thats great, but what abt those lonley old people? how about instead of making life longer, try to make life more fulfilling in the later years-jobs, ect… anyhow,… Read more »
the Rebbe said that we should wish people that they should live to 180 like Yitzchak Avinu, instead of 120 like Moshe Rabeinu
I was at a birthday party for a man celebrating his 120th birthday.
Normally I would wish, “Live to 120”, but this guy just turned 120.
So I wished him, “Have a great day!”
We love Rabbi Gitlin
Rabbi Meir Gitlin of Chabad of Markham inToronto Canada
ITS RABBI GITLIN FROM MARKHAM ONTARIO
Ad 120+ to you, (aint any threat), the mentally 100% person wants to live as long as they can.
Quote “To WANT to live longer than 100 years, is not normal!” has to be written by someone with no experience in the field…
(i don’t wish you any…)
or a geriatrict version!! lol
great picture… who is that rabbi?
I’m guessing you’re not 99 🙂
Life is complexed. To the extent that it would have been better if we weren’t born. However, now that we are born, will have to make the best out of it. To WANT to live longer than 100 years, is not normal!
oh cool….where do we get tested
The first 100 years are the most difficult!
if you have this gene?