HEALTH

THE
FRONTIERS
OF AGING
WELL
Geroscience, a growing field of study,
investigates longevity from new
perspectives By Sharon Oosthoek

ongevity science is having a

moment. An aging population
is driving a global economy
catering to those over 60 that is
now worth US$22 trillion,
according to Susan Wilner
Golden, a Stanford University
business school professor and
author of the 2022 bestselling
book, Stage (Not Age).
Big Silicon Valley players have
jumped into the hopeful, and at
times wacky, biotech market. American tech entre-
preneur Bryan Johnson, 46, who wants to be 18 again,
reportedly spends $2 million a year to de-age his
body. His biohacking routine includes stem-cell
injections to try to rejuvenate his joints, but last year
he stopped plasma infusions from young donors
because he saw no benefit.

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PHOTOGRAPHY, WLADIMIR BULGAR/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/GETTY IMAGES (VIAL)
 Google, with an investment from Apple chairman Arthur
Levinson, 74, founded Calico Life Sciences in 2013 to inves-
tigate the biology of aging; it publishes dozens of research
papers a year and hopes some of the 20 pharmaceutical
compounds it’s developing will one day treat cancer, neuro-
logical disease and tissue damage. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman,
39, is backing Retro Biosciences, which is on a mission to add
10 years to healthy human lifespans, in part by reprogram-
ming old cells to act like younger ones. Researchers are now
pivoting from treating specific diseases of old age to gerosci- Bryan Johnson (right)
ence – a burgeoning scientific field that examines longevity was infused with plasma
from a new angle, looking at how the genetic, molecular and from Talmage (left), his
cellular mechanisms of aging might prevent or reduce the teenage son, in a failed
youth-boosting experiment.
severity of a slew of age-related illnesses.
To coordinate research in Canada, McGill University is
launching the Canadian Translational Geroscience which is part of an international consortium involving
Network, which will convene its first meeting in September 500 participants across North America.
of scientists, academics, policy-makers and community “These are people 80-plus who have memory abilities at
stakeholders interested in healthy aging and longevity from least as good as people in their 50s,” says Roberts, who
biological, social and medical perspectives. “At this point, specializes in data analytics and digital health in cogni-
there are no compounds that have been shown to increase tive aging. “This is a unique group whose cognitive func-
lifespan in humans,” says McGill’s Jeremy Van tion and brain atrophy do not change as rapidly as we
Raamsdonk, who studies how biological resilience might as we expect with age.”
contributes to longevity and neurode- On average, eight to 12 per cent of people
generation. Still, a 2020 review paper
American tech over 80 may be considered SuperAgers. To
he and his colleagues wrote highlights deepen understanding of what it might take to
five compounds – including the entrepreneur boost that number, Roberts and her team are
diabetes drug metformin – that have Bryan Johnson, currently recruiting SuperAgers to study their
been shown to extend lifespan in fruit 46, who wants diet, activity levels, sleep habits and genes.
flies and worms, and to protect against
to be 18 again, They are especially interested in hearing from
neurodegenerative diseases in mice. Black Canadians, a traditionally under-repre-
Van Raamsdonk says the closest reportedly sented and understudied population.

PHOTOGRAPHY, ELENA ZARETSKAYA/GETTY IMAGES (SYRINGE); COURTESY BRYAN JOHNSON (JOHNSONS)

thing to a human experiment so far is spends $2 million Previous research shows SuperAgers have
the TAME (Targeting Aging with a year to de-age three key brain differences: a region called the
Metformin) Trial, which is anterior cingulate cortex – linked to decision-
his body
managed by the American making and social interaction – is thicker; their
Federation for Aging brains resist the development of protein tangles
Research and will treat people aged 65 to associated with Alzheimer’s; and they have a higher density
79 with metformin. The goal is to see of Von Economo neurons, which have been well studied in
whether it might delay development or whales and elephants, but less so in humans.
progression of age-related chronic diseases “We think these neurons may drive pod and social behav-
such as heart disease, cancer and dementia. iour in other species,” explains Roberts. “This is interest-
(Both Johnson and Altman have added ing to us because one of the behavioural reports is that
metformin to their anti-aging regimens.) SuperAgers are more emotionally resilient and have deep-
Of course there is more to geroscience er social relationships.”
than drugs. For example, Dean Ornish, They also tend to be more physically robust. “They still
founder of the California-based Preventive have arthritis and hip issues like many people at that age,
Medicine Research Institute, is leading a study but they are also likely to be sailors, high-platform divers,
to see if the progression of early-stage track and field athletes,” she says. SuperAgers are more
Alzheimer’s disease can be stopped, slowed or likely to have more regular sleep habits too, and generally
even reversed through lifestyle changes such as have set bedtimes and rising times.
eating a low-fat, low-sugar, plant-based diet, “This project was founded on the principle that to under-
moderate exercise and stress management. stand what is going ‘wrong’ in aging, we needed to under-
Similarly, at Western University in London, stand what was going ‘right,’” says Roberts. “Linking biol-
Ont., Angela Roberts is leading a research team ogy and behaviour across disease and exceptional cognitive
studying the first Canadian cohort of SuperAgers, aging is very much a geroscience approach.”

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 THE GOLDEN AGE
The coolest gadgets – from anti-aging pillows to AI-managed
lipstick applicators – plus the latest in nutrition and exercise
1 ENVIOUS SLEEP
“This is the one pillow that reduces
wrinkles, aligns our spine and gives us
the best restorative sleep of our lives,”
co-inventor Kathy Young Keefe said
in a 2015 Dragons’ Den pitch, which
PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY ENVY (PILLOW); COURTESY WYZE (SCALE); DORLING KINDERSLEY: WILLIAM REAVELL/GETTY IMAGES (HEMP)
propelled the Envy memory-foam
pillow – a Health Canada-approved
medical device – into clinics and
spas across Canada and the U.S. The
patented gull-wing shape offloads
pressure from the face, preventing
the vertical sleep wrinkles side
sleepers (75 per cent of us) get when
we smush our faces into our pillows,
and alleviates jaw pain. Envy’s cervical
support helps relieve neck and back
pain for side sleepers and back
sleepers, while the copper-infused
cases kill harmful microorganisms,
reduce skin inflammation and
preserve elasticity. If you’re a
stomach sleeper, flip over, because
they say it may damage your face,
neck and spine. —Alyanna Denise Chua
4 POWER MOVES
Cardio, balance and strength
training are a familiar exercise trifecta,
but now we need to add power – or
strength, plus rapid movement. “Just
about every activity of daily living
that’s going to limit you when you
get older has to do with power,” says
Stuart Phillips, a McMaster University
kinesiology professor in Hamilton, Ont.,
2 SCALE UP
Bathroom scales are stepping up
their game – measuring body composition
metrics such as body fat, bone density
and muscle mass – and even your heart
rate, which become more critical as we
age. Smart scales send a weak electrical
current through your body to measure
resistance (water and muscle conduct
electricity better than bone and fat),
sending data via Bluetooth to an app.
(Warning: The electrical signal may
interfere with pacemakers.) One of the
smartest is the sleek Wyze Scale X, with
the ability to track 13 health indicators,
reputed accuracy, budget-friendly price
and recommendations from the New York
Times and Forbes. If that doesn’t tip the
scale, check out Withings Body Smart,
Eufy Smart Scale P2 or QardioBase X.
—ADC
whose research on exercise and skeletal
muscle health is often cited.
Getting out of chairs, going down
stairs and dashing across intersections
all require power, which decreases as
we age, but exercises can put the brakes
on dwindling vigour. Both strength and
power training involve resistance, but
the difference is speed. Power exercises
include explosive movements, like box
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3 SUPERFOOD FIND
The hemp plant’s brown,
nutty seed may be on some
vegetarian and vegan shopping
lists given they’re a rich source
of vegetable protein, but here’s
the big reveal: Go straight to
the soft heart. The shelled seeds,
sold as hemp hearts, are easy
to digest and can be sprinkled
into your food. (Industrial
hemp, although grown from
cannabis plants, can’t contain
more than 0.3 per cent THC, the
psychoactive ingredient
in marijuana.)
The hearts contain all nine
essential amino acids, healthy
fats like omega-3 and ome-
ga-6, antioxidants such as
vitamin E and the minerals
iron, zinc, magnesium and
potassium. —ADC
jumps, kettlebell swings and plyometric
pushups – where you burst upward with
enough force that your hands leave the
ground – while strength exercises call for
slower, more controlled repetitions.
“It’s easier to prevent a decline in
power rather than correct a decline
that’s already happened,” Phillips says,
recommending that people start power
training in their 40s and 50s. —ADC
JUNE/JULY 2024 – 49
6 GROW ON
Gardening requires digging, lifting
and lots of bending and squatting. If you
wrestle with back pain,
muscle strain or
wobbly knees, there’s
no need to stop tending
your paradise, given
how good it is for the spirit. Green thumbs
can rely on props like memory-foam knee
pads, foldable kneelers or a garden rocker
8 BOOT UP
Forget
those unsightly
seat, which looks like a contoured toadstool flesh-coloured
and reduces pressure on hips and knees. If stockings. If you
you want to be the envy of the garden club, have circulation
Lee Valley has your back with a steerable issues or tired legs
tractor seat with a tool tray. —ADC and feet, pull on
some massage
boots, a product

7 LIP SERVICE
Lipstick is a delicate thing – as soon as it appears
from its glamorous encasement, it can easily be broken or
popularized by
pro athletes.
“The theory is that they
smushed. If you have tremors, arthritis or any other hand- may improve blood flow
motion disorder, getting it on your lips can seem like trying and reduce post-exertion

5 VENUS VIBES
There’s a new
laser in town, and it’s
preventing peri-and-
postmenopausal sex
to pin the tail on the donkey. Enter HAPTA, a smart makeup
applicator created by Lancôme. The hand-held wand, which
will be launched in the U.S. next year, has a ring on one
muscle soreness, which can
be helpful for comfort,” says
Taylor Lougheed, a sports
end to grip the lipstick case and uses motion-stabilizing AI medicine doctor in North
sensors for a smooth application. The sleek device also helps Bay, Ont., and a University of

PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY LEE VALLEY (TRACTOR SEAT); COURTESY HYPERICE (BOOTS); COURTESY LANCOME (HAPTA); 221A/GETTY IMAGES (VENUS DE MILO)
from feeling, as one effortlessly lift the lipstick to the right height for anyone with Ottawa professor.
woman recently whispered arm and wrist mobility They use air pressure and
to me, “like shards issues. It’s a brilliant warmth to gently squeeze and
of glass.” use of AI technology massage legs and feet, helping
“As you age you lose to make beauty with lymphatic circulation
collagen everywhere, more democratic, or fluid-retention issues like
including your vaginal especially once it is edema. While Lougheed says
walls,” explains Dr. Jennifer adapted to hold other there isn’t enough evidence
Adams, a Calgary-based brands’ cases (they the boots can decrease pain,
esthetic gynecologist. assured me they’re patients and athletes do
When they become thin, working on it). As we report feeling good wearing
less elastic and less all know, beauty is these inflatable contraptions
lubricated, it can lead much more than skin after a long day.
to “micro tears.” deep; it’s a form of Prices run from
Adams calls the self-expression that Renpho’s simple Leg
MonaLisa Touch “a should be available Recovery Air Wraps at
game changer,” to everyone. The next $100 to Therabody’s $999
as it resurfaces challenge Lancôme AirRecovery Jet Boots and –
the vagina’s is set to conquer? the favourite of NBA players
lining with a Mascara application. – Hyperice’s $1,149 Normatec
controlled burn, —AW 3 Legs. —ADC
which triggers
the body to heal,
producing more
collagen, elastin
and moisture.
9 FOR HIM TOO
Kegels, the exercises
often recommended
like erectile dysfunction and
premature ejaculation.
Find your pelvic-floor
University of Ottawa’s pelvic
health expert Linda McLean
– who notes clinical trials
The treatments after childbirth to tighten muscles – the ones you have shown minor benefits
– three sessions, pelvic-floor muscles that use to stop urinating – so far – says it won’t hurt
four to six support the uterus, bladder and tighten them. Hold to tighten up loose ends.
weeks apart – and rectum, aren’t just the contraction for three “Consult a pelvic health
are no more for women. seconds, and relax for three physiotherapist to have a
uncomfortable Early-stage research shows seconds. Congrats! You’ve full assessment and to make
than a Kegels can help men with done your first Kegel. Now, sure that the exercises are
PAP test. urinary incontinence after try doing them while sitting, appropriate and are being
—Antonia prostate surgery and even standing or walking. performed correctly,” she
Whyatt manage sexual disorders While not a cure-all, the recommends. —ADC

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