I wrote the Immortality Edge 9 years ago- it was published 8 years ago.
At the time I was expecting “telomere” to become a house hold word. It did not.
My involvement in the stem cell field started in 2012 and THAT did become a household word.
In both cases there was a somewhat predictable circle of events. First came the excitement. Then came the naysaying. Then came the exploitation by the unscrupulous. Then came the back lash. And now, in both cases there is a bit of stabilization.
The general public- you know the people who have generally been brainwashed by our media and Big Pharma have looked for something new and something else to keep their short attention spans engaged. The methylation clock is the current thing, notwithstanding the fact that no one knows what to do about it other than “eat healthy”. The GNF 11 crowd will soon discover stem cells and telomeres are the at the end of the rainbow but, we have to let nature run its course and there is no harm in trying to find better ways to activate the mechanisms of anti-aging.
Meanwhile, quietly, day after day, week after week data accumulates about the central role of the telomere in aging. Conservative science outlets are no longer hedging and calling telomeres a mere biomarker of aging.
Slowly, the data points to a real causative action, and a real way to intervene beyond simple healthy life style changes.
One of the more recent studies ties the functional ability of the aged to telomere length.
Wanna guess what it shows?
Longer telomeres are better, shorter are worse and this translates into the functional ability of people in the study.
My whole goal has always been to remain healthier longer. This means to be functional longer. A few extra decades would be nice but honestly, I would like to emulate my parents, each of which were fully functional until between 2 and 3 weeks before their death.
My dad was playing tennis 3 weeks before he passed. My mom, traveling to Toronto and Montreal with me and enjoying life to the very last.
Of course, a few extra decades of same would be awesome!
In the meantime, TAKE CARE OF YOUR TELOMERES is now a copyright protected phrase of mine!
And speaking of discovery, you can affect the health and wellness of your telomeres.
While everyone is fighting over “the” way to reverse and or slow down the aging process there is one way that works and is scientifically backed.
We no longer have to tip toe around the truth!
Doc
Reference: Short chromosome tips linked to lower physical function in the elderly
New study suggests short telomeres are an independent risk factor for age-related functional decline
Frontiers in Physiology, 2018;