I've had time to think about this anti-aging thingy. Since Social Security's inception 80 years ago there have been numerous, real "anti-aging" advancements. An incomplete list in no particular order: Statin drugs. Take a cheap, low-risk medication every day and add 10-20 years to your life. Coronary bypass surgery. Techniques have advanced to the point where bypass surgery is safe, low-risk and routine. Blood pressure medications. Take a cheap, low-risk medication every day and add 10-20 years to your life. Cancer screening and treatment. 2 cancers that routinely killed people in their prime are of the breast and colon. Breast cancer can be detected early and treated successfully in most cases. Routine colonoscopy screenings can remove pre-cancerous polyps and actually *prevent* colon cancer. There is literally no excuse to die of colon cancer any more. Smoking awareness. Way less people smoke in the US than 80 years ago as a percentage. 80 years ago you were lucky to make it past 70. People were dropping dead left and right from heart attacks in their 50s. Due to the medical advancements on the above list people are routinely living past 70 and even past 80, frequently in pretty good health. Due to these actuarial changes the SSA has already bumped the retirement age from 65 to 67.5. Realistically are people really working longer? I don't know since I'm not an economist. But my unscientific observation has been that people are aiming to retire earlier, not later. They're taking their dividend of good health and putting it to use by stopping working and enjoying themselves.
It would be appropriate to point out that which has been cited on this thread related to self directed, healthful practices nurturing the mind, body and soul OR medical administration to restore them to the "normal" state OR any other modalities that retard aging are NOT anti-aging. Personally, I don't care. They are all on the same spectrum. I have known for nearly 15 years an MD who is an authority on the subject with a hugely successful practice and reputation that specializes in much if not all of the above. I heard him assert he is not accomplishing anti-aging for his patients, but longevity. The distinction, he explained, is important to him. I don't recall exactly how he stated it, but I believe he was referring to organs and processes of the body, that when periodically examined do not show a change of diminished strength/durability and function. Today we are looking at the near term (relative to human history) prospect of organs not known to replace themselves to in fact be replacing themselves to "new" status. That was my take on the article. I suspect the doctor I referred to above would agree that would be in effect anti-aging AS RELATES to THOSE ORGANS. The capitalized words just above are emphasis to point out the body doesn't become immortal, but to accrue more longevity. The body as a whole is not replaced. But if weak links in it can be self replaced organically, the savings in medical costs will be significantly and positively impactful and relief to the government. IMO, actuaries with enough input over time will be able to construct a landscape allowing them to calculate what those savings likely will be vs the expense of increased SS pension benefit payouts to more, older seniors. Intuitively to me, the savings associated with reducing the number of afflictions that require diagnoses, treatment, and recovery along with less demand for capital expenditures over time to replace medical plant and equipment and slow the need to have more facilities will be sufficient to cover the longer SS payout time to seniors. What am I missing ? How 'bout when the longer lived seniors approach their end days ? Isn't this subject just picturing a deferral of time such that the same expenses will still occur later rather than sooner. If this is accurate, it still extends the time for legislators to adjust its major entitlement programs for the old reality it never completely addressed before. [I hear the scepticism buzzer again.] I think with less organ problems in the oldest of old age, the savngs will largely be there; it will be more of the sudden cardiac arrests that end lives. What yet is missing ? .... assuming all goes well with the population getting its fix with regenerted organs ? Will very large numbers abuse their fix in ways that make them behave like they are immortal and abuse their own health and be pounding away on medicare ? With an ever increasing socialistic leadership put on this country, there won't be any dis-incentives to adjust behavior. Equal treatment for all with the innocent continuing to pay for the guilty. Opps.. I am slipping into a different subject. Time to quit here.
They are actually working on this, it's not going to be perfect, you won't become immortal, just have less issues and likely live longer. Even more people on the planet = BAD for my likings, you live to 120 but in an over crowded world. I say retire at 50, give 10years to enjoy any wealth you may have and bullet to the head at 60 or when your money runs out. Less people, shorter lives, but over all, higher standard of living! Obvisously the rich will access to the live longer stuff and get around the 60 rule, but I suppose if they have money and aren't using SS, why shouldn't they ?? So to summarise, no money = BANG, life without Money SUCKS so sounds like a good plan to me!!
Get out when the alternative seems better than the present. BANG ! Hasn't happened for me yet,but then I'm only 89'. Not on Social Security. What a name. How could any one come out ahead that paid in for 45 years considering the rip off of the reduced value of the dollars paid back.
[QUOTE I say retire at 50, give 10years to enjoy any wealth you may have and bullet to the head at 60 or when your money runs out. Less people, shorter lives, but over all, higher standard of living! So to summarise, no money = BANG, life without Money SUCKS so sounds like a good plan to me!![/QUOTE] LOL LOL You must be a young guy. You will change your mind when you are 59 !
Clean water is so important whether you live in a 3rd world desert or a big city. They put so much chlorine in the water here you can taste it. As everyone knows chlorine is highly poisonous. To compound the problem they put aluminium sulphate into the water too to make it look clear. This chemical is bad for the brain and produces Alzheimer's disease, now a growing problem. I distil this poisonous cocktail and drink pure water and fruit juice. One solution for curing old age and reduce pension costs would be to have whole armies of over 60s to fight in the Middle East and not return on a 1 way ticket. Society's riff raff of criminals, Hell's Angels etc. could be included. Branded on the forehead and parachuted into Syria or Afghanistan. The worse the crime the smaller the parachute
LOL LOL You must be a young guy. You will change your mind when you are 59 ![/QUOTE] Nah married with children, role on 60
Wrong, wrong, wrong... we've known for decades that people on statins don't live any longer than those not on them but eligible. It turns out that the side effects are quite bad. Essentially what the ignorant are waiting on is for Big Pharma to find stuff that makes us live longer. I've studied their products for many years and have concluded that they have always done more harm than good and still do. They use their influence to suppress their competition: natural stuff... The people that are going to live longer are the ones that are learning, learning, learning every day about health and natural aids to same. It is not an easy task. I've explored all avenues to health and at 71 yo I don't need any drugs at all. I've been watching my peers that are entirely in the clutches of the introvert[simply cannot be wrong about anything, ever] perfect little corporate drone doctors and are they dying off! They give me hope because if they can do as well as they do while being poisoned day in and day out then I shouldn't worry so much...
but they only give statins to people who have heart conditions or at risk, so without they'd live shorter, so living the same, means it is doing a good job. Would it benefit a normal person ?? maybe slight, but not much most likely.
I am not fully there in conviction, Fractal, but easily 85 % or so because of reading from reputable sources since high school days, having my own experiences and also family and friends' experiences from following: the power of exercise for toning and strength, and cardiovascular for the obvious reasons; understanding herbs (powerful); and the suite of mental health self hygiene and proper sleep, nutrition, and weight management. I am referring to preventative and therapeutics results. I had a brother-in-law on a statin for cholesterol and heart concerns. He had intolerable side effects. Got off it and problems stopped. He knows it is a come to Jesus moment for him, so he is motivated....very motivated to finally tune in effectively to what I just cited is necessary now. As long as he continues performing consistently with those cited necessities, he will be happy with the results. Happily, it is not dieting or trying to stop drinking or smoking with the high incidence of failure. Instead, you are forever being reminded by your body thanking you, and friends saying how good you look and able to handle things physically and mentally. Your capability allows you to self sustain excellently while being that much more capable of supporting your loved ones. Good call, Fractal ! One more Like for you.