Preventative Approaches to Ageing II Flashcards
How has the main cause of death changed in LMICs?
Used to be communicable and nutritional diseases
Now non-communicable diseases
What are the current main strategies against diseases of ageing?
Society changes
Healthcare changes
Prevention strategies
What is the aim of developing treatments for diseases of ageing?
Extend human healthspan - not lifespan
What could be the effect of treating ageing itself?
May affect some/all diseases of ageing
Could provide treatment for previously untreatable disease
What are the 2 main preventative treatment possibilities for diseases of ageing?
Nutrition
Pharmacological
What is the effect of dietary restriction?
Extends lifespan
Improves health
How does dietary restriction probably work?
Excess in normal diet - unclear what
Could be due to macronutrient ratios
Which macronutrients could mediate the effect of dietary restriction?
Calories - probably not/not only
Fat
Sugar
Protein
What are the effects of intermittent fasting in animals?
Increased lifespan
Increased healthspan
What are the effects of intermittent fasting in humans?
Increased liver insulin sensitivity
Decreased BP
Increased neurogenesis
Decreased inflammation
What is the issue with intermittent fasting in humans?
Willpower
What is the aim of using drugs to prevent age-related diseases?
Give dietary restriction benefits with normal diet
What is the mechanism of rapamycin action?
Inhibits TORC1
What are the effects of rapamycin in mice?
Extends lifespan
Improves organ functioning - e.g. liver, heart
Improves response to influenza vaccine in older mice
What is rapamycin currently used as in humans?
Immunosuppressant - fairly safe
What are the benefits of other mTOR inhibitors over rapamycin?
Increase human vaccine efficiency more than rapamycin
Fewer side effects
Give long term decrease in respiratory infections after acute dose - acute treatment could have long-term effect
How are animal drug trials to prevent age-related diseases often sexually dimorphic?
Usually better drug effect in females
What is the mechanism of metformin action?
Activates AMPK
What is metformin currently used to treat in humans?
T2D
What is the effect of metformin on T2D patient outcomes?
Improves CVD outcomes
Some evidence for decreased cancer, increased cognitive function, increased lifespan
What is the effect of senolytics in animals?
Improves health and age-related changes
How would senolytic treatments be given?
Short repeated treatments
Which disease is currently the focus of developing a senolytic treatment and why?
Osteoarthritis
No current treatment
Localised disease - do not need to give drug systemically - may decrease side effects
Which metabolic treatment may be suitable for age-related disease prevention?
Nicotinamide replenishment
