New Books Offer Different Perspectives on Longevity

Three recent books about longevity couldn't be more different in their approaches. One is a look at the science, similar to a well-written textbook; one seems prepped for mass media presentation; and one is casually informative.

In Aging - The Paradox of Life, noted geneticist Robin Holliday seeks to explain how and why we age. It's a layperson's translation of his 1995 "Understanding Aging," a noted cross-disciplinary look at the same topic, and the new book follows that integrated approach. It peers into many areas, from cell division to evolution, seeking to explain why we don't live forever.

Holliday's synthesis is important, for, as he writes, "for most of (the 20th) century, scientists working on aging could not see the forest for the trees, because they were all studying individual trees." That's a problem, he concludes, because "there is not one true theory of aging, but instead most of the more important ones have a significant degree of truth."

Holliday got his PhD from Cambridge in 1959, and the book has the perspective and judgement that a long career career can bring. It is not, fortunately, written in the so-popular first person narrative style, and is refreshingly authoritative without being complex. Holliday asks questions, how researchers have tried to answer them, and tells the reader what they now know -- and what they don't. If you're looking for a comprehensive yet readable overview of human aging as it is understood today, this is an excellent starting place.

The "big answer," by the way, is that aging is the result of the body's ability -- or inability -- to maintain itself, which in turn is caused by the selection pressure for the allocation of body resources toward reproduction over maintenance.

I suspect that Holliday, with is considered approach, would dislike Mark Liponis's UltraLongevity, which is subtitled "The Seven Step Program for a Younger, Healthier You -- Based on the Revolutionary New Science of Aging and the Immune System." Liponis, author of UltraPrevention and medical director at upscale spa Canyon Ranch, places the human immune system at the center of his anti-aging prescription. He argues that "a major factor in aging well is the absence of organ-specific antibodies. In other words, the quieter your immune system, the healthier you are." He prescribes seven keys to a healthy immune system -- breathing properly, eating the right way, sleeping well, rhythm and movement, loving, a soothing environment, and use of vitamins and supplements. Lastly, there are almost 50 pages of recipes for recommended meals.

The book's failings are that its claims seem overblown and the linkages between the seven steps and longevity aren't necessarily causal.

First, the book's jacket makes an amazingly broad claim:

"According to the latest scientific research, you can control the aging process, simply by paying attention to one thing: your immune system. That's right. All you have to do is manage your immune system, because every disease of aging, and in fact aging itself, has been shown to be associated with an overactive immune system."

While Liponis is not responsible for how the book is sold, this claim is simply wrong. To the lay reader, who doesn't understand the difference between "associated with" and "caused by," it sounds like the immune system is the sole cause of human aging. As just one counterexample, this ignores the huge amount of research into the role of genetic damage and mutation in aging. As another, one's genes are a substantial determinant of Alzheimer's susceptibility.

Liponis himself is more careful, such as when he writes that he believes that the "effects of aging are mediated through the immune system, and that the best way to live a long and happy life is to get your immune system functioning at its peak." He doesn't support this claim with research, but he's a clinician, and presumably reporting what he sees in his practice. He says he's addressing the effects of aging, such as cognition and mobility -- and his seven steps to aging well are one approach to the problem.

The core of the book -- the seven steps -- seems to be a reasonable, whole-body approach to health. However, Liponis is guilty of occasional fuzziness when linking his recommendations back to the immune system. When he's arguing that poor breathing is linked to an overactive immune system, he cites studies showing links between impaired breathing and immune system activation -- for instance, "pulmonary function and breathing capacity were excellent predictors of long-term survival ..." A predictor, however, is not a cause. People with good pulmonary function and breathing capacity are likely to be in good health (for one, they probably never smoked) and should be expected to survive longer. The real cause might be that they stayed fit through exercise, which also caused them to have above-normal breathing capacity. One can never quite shake the feeling that Liponis is trying to establish linkages to his central idea -- the immune system rules all -- a little too fervently.

On the positive side, the seven recommended steps are healthful and may spur the reader into investigating further. For instance, his focus on rhythmic movement -- which he summarizes as "dance" but encompasses far more -- is a nice encapsulation of one type of healthy behavior. At their best, the seven steps are intriguing; at the least, they fall into the "can't hurt" category.

Sanjay Gupta's Chasing Life is a fine overview of current knowledge on how to age well. Nothing in this book will surprise anyone who's dug into longevity issues, but it's a useful introduction to the state of the art. He highlights the role of supplements, diet and eating style, exercise, brain aging, cancer, unhealthy lifestyles and bodies, and happiness.

Gupta's conversational style makes this a fast read. While he discusses recent research, he always applies it practically: what should you do? His prescriptions aren't headline-making, but they are solid. If you need someone to tell you, with authority, what you should be doing do live longer and happier, Gupta's book is a good start.

---
Click on any book title or image to see its page at Amazon.