An expert on aging, Thomas Perls, M.D., will be guest speaker this Friday, Denham Harman, M.D., Ph.D. Lectureship in Biomedical Gerontology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The lectureship was established in honor Dr. Harman, who is known internationally as the father of the free radical theory of aging and is credited with discovering the role of antioxidants (vitamins C, E and beta-carotene) in fighting heart disease and cancer.
Dr. Perls, associate professor of medicine and geriatrics, Boston University, will present a speech titled, “The Different Paths to Achieving 100 Years,” in the UNMC Durham Research Center. Dr. Perls is founder and director of the New England Centenarian Study, the largest study of centenarians in the world. A significant portion of the study is devoted to understanding why centenarians delay or escape Alzheimer’s disease and other brain disorders.
Dr. Perls studies aging at Boston University Medical School and cares for older patients. Since he first discovered that his centenarian patients were among his healthiest, he has become one of a handful of world experts studying them.
For more than nine years, he has directed the New England Centenarian Study (NECS). Funded by the Institute for the Study of Aging, the Ellison Medical Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the National Institute on Aging, the NECS is the largest genetic and social study of centenarians and their families in the world, said Dr. Perls.
Findings from the study are presented in Dr. Perls’ book, “Living to 100, Lessons in Maximizing Your Potential At Any Age.” Though genetics plays a role in living to 100, centenarian study researchers say most people should be able to live to their late eighties in exceptional health.
According to Dr. Perls and his team, centenarians have a history of aging very slowly and have either delayed or entirely escaped diseases normally associated with aging such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, stroke and heart disease. He and his colleagues recently discovered a key genetic region that plays a critical role in how centenarians age so well and live for such a long time. The team’s work may translate into development of age-slowing and disease-retarding drugs.
Experts say things that may lengthen the lifespan include being active both mentally and physically, eating a healthy diet, being of ideal weight, reducing stress and avoiding tobacco products and other unhealthy behaviors. Genetics plays a major role as well.
Nebraskans are living longer. In the 2003 Nebraska Vital Statistics report, Nebraska had one of the lowest death rates in the state’s history. By gender, the average age at death was 78.7 years for women, which tied the state’s all-time record (set in 1999 and 2000) and 71.9 years for men, which broke the 2000 record mark of 71.3 years.
For $5, you can access the Living to 100 Life Expectancy Calculator at http://www.livingto100.com and get an estimate of how long you may live. The calculator is a culmination of studies of those who’ve lived over 100 years and other longevity research, Dr. Perls said.