Implausibility of radical life extension in humans in the twenty-first century | Nature Aging

 Humanity is hitting the upper limit of life expectancy, according to a new study.

What is life expectancy?

Here’s a simple overview of life expectancy trends over recent years for different regions. This can help you understand how life expectancy varies globally.

### Life Expectancy by Region (2021 Estimates)

| Region               | Life Expectancy (Years) |

|----------------------|-------------------------|

| Global Average       | 72.6                    |

| North America        | 79.1                    |

| Europe               | 77.9                    |

| Asia                 | 73.5                    |

| Latin America        | 75.0                    |

| Africa               | 64.5                    |

| Oceania              | 78.5                    |

### Key Points

- **Global Average**: The average life expectancy worldwide has been gradually increasing but varies greatly by region.

- **North America and Europe**: Generally have higher life expectancies due to better health care and living conditions.

- **Africa**: Typically has the lowest life expectancy, influenced by factors like health crises (e.g., HIV/AIDS, malaria) and economic challenges.

For the most current and detailed statistics, you can consult resources like the World Health Organization (WHO) or the World Bank.Life expectancy refers to the average number of years a person is expected to live, based on statistical averages. It is often calculated from birth, but can also be measured at different ages, such as life expectancy at age 65. Factors influencing life expectancy include:

Health Care Access**: Availability and quality of medical services.

Lifestyle Choices**: Diet, exercise, and habits like smoking or alcohol consumption.

Socioeconomic Status**: Education, income level, and occupation.

Genetics**: Family history and inherited health conditions.

Environmental Factors**: Pollution, housing conditions, and community safety.

Life expectancy varies significantly between countries and regions due to these factors. For example, developed countries often have higher life expectancies compared to developing countries. Life expectancy is an estimate of the average number of years a baby born in a given year might expect to live, assuming death rates at that time hold constant. It is one of the world’s most important health measures, but it is also imperfect: It is a snapshot estimate that cannot account for deadly pandemics, miracle cures, or other unforeseen developments that might kill or save millions of people.  Advances in medical technology and genetic research — not to mention larger numbers of people making it to age 100 — are not translating into marked jumps in lifespan overall, according to researchers who found shrinking longevity increases in countries with the longest-living populations.

“We have to recognize there’s a limit” and perhaps reassess assumptions about when people should retire and how much money they’ll need to live out their lives, said S. Jay Olshansky, a University of Illinois-Chicago researcher who was lead author of the study published Monday by the journal Nature Aging.

In the new research, Olshansky and his research partners tracked life expectancy estimates for the years 1990 to 2019, drawn from a database administered by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research. The researchers focused on eight of the places in the world where people live the longest — Australia, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, and Switzerland.

The U.S. doesn’t even rank in the top 40. But it also was included “because we live here” and because of past, bold estimates that life expectancy in the U.S. might surge dramatically in this century, Olshansky said.

Why life expectancy may not be able to rise forever

The study suggests that there’s a limit to how long most people live, and we’ve about hit it, Olshansky said.

The ranks of centenarians will likely grow in the decades ahead, experts say, but that’s because of population growth. The percentage of people hitting 100 will remain limited, likely with fewer than 15% of women and 5% of men making it that long in most countries, Olshansky said.

Global Life Expectancy reveals significant difference between countries, races, income and sex.

Implausibility of radical life extension in humans in the twenty-first century | Nature Aging

Charted: The cost of weight-loss drugs in the US vs. other countries

According to a new report from KFF, the United States pays significantly more for weight-loss drugs, including Ozempic and Wegovy, than peer nations, with U.S. prices sometimes being 10 times higher. 

This should be no surprise, just about all drugs are more expensive in the USA.

5 catalysts that Will Impact the Future of Weight Management Drugs

The weight management medication market is facing a crucial turning point. Learn about the five game-changing moments that will affect the use of GLP-1s for weight loss — from expanded indications to Medicare coverage — and find out what stakeholders should do now to prepare for the future. 

Catalyst 1: FDA approval of new weight management drugs

Weight-management drug competition is ramping up. Though currently only one GLP-1 has been approved for weight management (Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide—also known as Wegovy), early reports from Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide show that the drug may outperform semaglutide in recipients’ percentage of weight loss and percentage of lean muscle mass retained. Furthermore, additional anti-obesity drugs are likely to hit the market in coming years that appeal even more to patients. If the FDA approves these drugs, they will likely have a positive impact on the perception of GLP-1s overall and ease some of the access and price concerns held today.

Ripple effects

Supply chain issues will lessen as more treatment options increase supply

Steeper rebates for health plans as pharmacy benefit managers gain the upper hand in negotiations with manufacturers

Net costs are likely to decrease, but patients may face cost-sharing barriers from persistently high list prices

Catalyst 2: SELECT trial results

Novo Nordisk’s SELECT trial for semaglutide seeks to demonstrate the drug’s efficacy in reducing major cardiovascular events for individuals with established cardiovascular disease. Researchers and clinicians seem confident that results will be positive, making it likely that the FDA will update the drug’s indicated use to include cardiovascular risk reduction in addition to chronic weight management for those above a designated BMI threshold.

Ripple effects

Increased pressure on commercial health plans and employers to cover semaglutide (and future competitors) given the demonstrated relation to cardiovascular health

A new mechanism for Medicare to provide coverage for semaglutide for patients with established cardiovascular disease

Force competitors with drugs in the pipeline to expand their trials to also focus on cardiovascular disease and/or other related health outcomes

Catalyst 3: New data on prescribing and utilization rates

Today, we have little real-world data on how GLP-1s are prescribed and used, limiting the ability of decision-makers to form long-term strategies. In the coming years as more data becomes available, payers and providers will be able to make more informed moves, influencing how these drugs are prescribed, managed, and reimbursed.

Ripple effects

Providers will have a better sense of the overall patient population and more insight into how to manage follow-up care to improve outcomes

Payers will develop more informed coverage policies to limit low-value use of the drugs

Patient medication use and adherence patterns will reveal the scale and clinical impact of drug-related weight cycling (patients take the medication, lose weight, go off the treatment and regain weight, and then get on the medication again)  

Catalyst 4: Patient outcomes from wrap-around services for weight management drugs

Some payers are responding to the demand for GLP-1s and weight loss services by directing members to obesity centers of excellence to ensure the right patients are receiving weight management medications as part of holistic obesity care. At the same time, wellness companies like WeightWatchers and Noom are expanding into prescribing with new telehealth offerings that increase subscriber access to GLP-1s in combination with behavioral interventions. The success (or failure) of these wrap-around service models will likely shape how patients access these drugs and obesity management services in the future.

Ripple effects

If wrap-around service models improve patient outcomes and experience long-term, more payers and wellness companies are likely to employ these models, solidifying this as a new model for obesity care that will come with its own risks and rewards

If these early wrap-around models aren’t successful, healthcare leaders will likely experiment with different ways to facilitate the use of weight management medications as part of holistic obesity care to improve long-term outcomes. Whether via wrap-around services or some alternative model, weight management drugs are unlikely to have a positive impact unless healthcare leaders find a way to integrate them into holistic obesity care  

Catalyst 5: Medicare weight loss coverage reversal

Right now, Medicare cannot legally cover weight-management medications. Advocates have been lobbying to reverse this restriction for years and lawmakers are likely to reintroduce a bill that would do so later this year. The bill had bipartisan support in the past; however, its passage is uncertain given Medicare cost implications. If lobbyists are successful, the change will increase access to these medications—not to mention costs to Medicare and patients, increasing fears about the financial impact of GLP-1s.  

Ripple effects

A large group of patients would gain access to medications covered by their Medicare Part D plans, reducing access disparities

Increase in Medicare Part D plan premiums to accommodate for high cost and projected high utilization of weight management drugs

11 years after FDA approves each weight-management drug, Medicare could negotiate its price as long as generics are not developed

So what should stakeholders be doing now as we wait to see how these catalytic moments transpire?

Providers, especially those unused to providing obesity care, can brush up on clinical guidelines and ensure that patients seeking out weight management drugs receive holistic care. Purchasers can start collecting claims data on prescribing and utilization practices, and surveying members and employees about how likely they are to seek access to these medications.

Charted: The cost of weight-loss drugs in the US vs. other countries

Home - BioViva Science

A new anti-aging treatment for antiaging, using viral vectors.

As people age, their cells gradually become less effective at carrying out their daily functions and repairing damage. This micro-cellular decline can then lead to life-threatening macro-effects such as organ failure and disease. Traditionally, medicine focuses on treating the symptoms of this damage - such as cognitive decline or high cholesterol. However, ambitious biotechnology company BioViva is instead centering its attention on fixing the root cause of it all: cellular aging.

BioViva is implementing personalized, regenerative gene therapies to slow down and reverse biological aging. The firm has a patent on a gene delivery process known as adeno-associated virus (AAV). AAV, which uses the natural ability of a virus to deliver genetic material into cells, and therefore, can be used as a vehicle to carry therapeutic genes into human cells.

In addition to this, the biotechnology company has a patent pending on CMV, a gene delivery method with the capacity to support larger genetic loads due to its greater genome size and unique ability to incorporate multiple genes. CMV thus minimizes the number of treatments needed because more genetic information can be delivered at once. In initial animal studies, CMV treatment was seen to extend lifespan by over 41%. It has been proven to be a potent delivery vector and is being utilized as a part of multiple immunotherapies, including treatments for cancer, AIDS, and malaria.

Through this innovative form of gene therapy, BioViva is setting out to extend humans' health spans - which is the amount of time spent in good health - rather than focusing purely on improving lifespans. This is an issue that grows more critical as the global elderly population expands, particularly due to their increased susceptibility to COVID-19 and susceptibility to aging-associated diseases. Although life expectancy has increased by around three months per year in recent decades, UK data highlights that men are expected to spend around 16 years in ill health while women are expected to spend 19 years in poor health at the end of their lives. As a result, armed with its new gene therapy, BioViva is striving to narrow the gap between our health spans and our lifespans.

The older population's vulnerability is largely due to their immune system being in cellular senescence, where cells no longer divide and repair themselves; this comes as a result of the shortening of telomeres - which can be likened to shoelace-caps located at the ends of our DNA strands - that inevitably comes with biological aging. This damage is associated with diseases such as osteoporosis, heart disease, dementia, Alzheimer's, and cancers.

"Today, we are living longer than ever - which is great. But the caveat is that this means we are also in ill health longer than ever," says Liz Parrish, the CEO of BioViva. "Biological aging is the biggest killer on the planet. Not only does it impact the individual, but the effects of aging-related diseases ripple through to family members who have to see their loved ones struggle with these illnesses - illnesses that we believe will one day be preventable. This is what continues to inspire the entire team at BioViva to find solutions to aging-related decline and to reduce the detrimental impact of disease." Parrish has undergone gene therapy twice with positive results, underlining her conviction in the effectiveness of these treatments.

BioViva's gene therapy presents an opportunity to stop a disease in its tracks before it has been given a chance to spread; the company hopes this could offer cures to conditions that we now consider incurable. The company is now working with five gene candidates and expanding its gene candidates yearly.

 As of my last knowledge update in October 2023, Bioviva's gene therapy products had not received FDA approval. Bioviva has been involved in various gene therapy projects, but specific approvals can change over time. For the most current information, it's best to check the FDA's official website or Bioviva's announcements.

Home - BioViva Science

How much Power does the Human Body Use ?

The human brain typically uses about 20 watts of power while at rest. This is roughly equivalent to the energy consumed by a dim light bulb. Despite accounting for only about 2% of the body's weight, the brain consumes approximately 20% of the body's total energy expenditure. This energy is primarily used for maintaining neuronal activity, processing information, and supporting overall brain function. Microsoft bought the remaining nuclear power plant to feed its AI engine (450 Megawatts).

vs

Microsoft to Convert Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant into AI Data Center 

To meet the soaring energy demands of its artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, Microsoft has announced a 20-year agreement to bring the dormant Three Mile Island nuclear power plant back online. The deal, secured through a power purchase agreement with Constellation Energy, the current owner of the facility, underscores the tech giant’s increasing need for clean, high-capacity energy.

If approved by regulators, the agreement would grant Microsoft exclusive access to 100% of the energy produced by the plant, which is capable of generating up to 837 megawatts. This move comes as Microsoft scales its data center operations across key U.S. states, including Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. The company’s focus on AI development has significantly boosted its energy consumption, making carbon-free power essential to its sustainability goals.

Nuclear Power as Compared to Human Organs

The brain is one of the most energy-demanding organs in the body. For comparison: The heart uses about 1-2 watts. The muscles, during exercise, can consume significantly more energy, but they are less energy-intensive at rest than the brain.

Kidneys are vital organs that are crucial in filtering blood, regulating fluid balance, and maintaining electrolyte levels. They use approximately 6-10 watts of power on average. Energy Consumption Details Percentage of Total Body Energy: The kidneys account for about 5-10% of the body’s total energy expenditure, depending on factors like body size and health status. Functions Requiring Energy: Filtration: The kidneys filter about 180 liters of blood daily, converting this into roughly 1-2 liters of urine. This process is energy-intensive. Reabsorption: A significant portion of energy goes toward reabsorbing vital substances (like glucose and amino acids) back into the bloodstream. Regulation: The kidneys help regulate blood pressure, electrolyte balance, and acid-base balance, all of which require energy.

Liver The liver is a vital organ responsible for numerous metabolic processes and typically uses about 20-30 watts of power. This energy consumption can vary based on factors like activity level, diet, and overall health. Energy Consumption Details Percentage of Total Body Energy: The liver accounts for about 25% of the body's total energy expenditure at rest. Functions Requiring Energy Metabolism: The liver plays a key role in metabolizing carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, which require significant energy. Detoxification: It helps detoxify various metabolites and drugs, a process that consumes energy. Bile Production: The liver produces bile, which is essential for digestion and fat absorption. Storage: The liver stores essential nutrients, such as glycogen, vitamins, and minerals, and releases them as needed, which also requires energy. Factors Affecting Energy Use Diet: High-calorie diets can increase the liver's energy expenditure as it processes excess nutrients. Health Conditions: Liver diseases (e.g., fatty liver disease) can alter energy metabolism and consumption. Overall, the liver's energy demands are significant due to its multifaceted roles in maintaining metabolic homeostasis.

Muscles. The energy consumption of muscles varies significantly based on activity level, type of exercise, and overall muscle mass. Here are some key points regarding muscle energy usage: Resting Energy Consumption At Rest: Skeletal muscles use about 1-2 watts per kilogram of body weight when at rest. For an average adult, this can amount to around 60-80 watts overall. During Activity Light Activity: During light activities, such as walking, muscle energy consumption can increase to around 3-5 times the resting level. Intense Exercise: During high-intensity activities (e.g., sprinting, weightlifting), energy consumption can soar to up to 100 times resting levels, depending on the duration and intensity of the exercise. Energy Sources ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate): Muscles primarily use ATP for energy. This is produced through: Aerobic Metabolism: Utilizes oxygen to convert carbohydrates and fats into ATP, especially during prolonged, steady activities. Anaerobic Metabolism: Produces ATP without oxygen, primarily through glycolysis, during short bursts of intense activity. Factors Affecting Energy Use Muscle Fiber Type: Type I Fibers (Slow-twitch): More efficient and use aerobic metabolism, suitable for endurance activities. Type II Fibers (Fast-twitch): Use anaerobic metabolism for quick bursts of energy but fatigue faster. Fitness Level: More conditioned muscles are generally more efficient at utilizing energy. Summary Muscle energy consumption varies widely based on activity and muscle type, with resting energy use being relatively low but increasing dramatically during exercise. Overall, muscles are highly adaptable in their energy usage depending on the demands placed on them.

Gut. The energy consumption of muscles varies significantly based on activity level, type of exercise, and overall muscle mass. Here are some key points regarding muscle energy usage: Resting Energy Consumption At Rest: Skeletal muscles use about 1-2 watts per kilogram of body weight when at rest. For an average adult, this can amount to around 60-80 watts overall. During Activity Light Activity: During light activities, such as walking, muscle energy consumption can increase to around 3-5 times the resting level. Intense Exercise: During high-intensity activities (e.g., sprinting, weightlifting), energy consumption can soar to up to 100 times resting levels, depending on the duration and intensity of the exercise. Energy Sources ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate): Muscles primarily use ATP for energy. This is produced through: Aerobic Metabolism: Utilizes oxygen to convert carbohydrates and fats into ATP, especially during prolonged, steady activities. Anaerobic Metabolism: Produces ATP without oxygen, primarily through glycolysis, during short bursts of intense activity. Factors Affecting Energy Use Muscle Fiber Type: Type I Fibers (Slow-twitch): More efficient and use aerobic metabolism, suitable for endurance activities. Type II Fibers (Fast-twitch): Use anaerobic metabolism for quick bursts of energy but fatigue faster. Fitness Level: More conditioned muscles are generally more efficient at utilizing energy. Summary Muscle energy consumption varies widely based on activity and muscle type, with resting energy use being relatively low but increasing dramatically during exercise. Overall, muscles are highly adaptable in their energy usage depending on the demands placed on them. How much energy does the gut use? The energy consumption of the gut, primarily represented by the intestines, is significant but varies based on factors like diet and digestive activity. Here are some details: Energy Consumption Average Power Usage: The gut uses approximately 10-15 watts at rest. Percentage of Total Body Energy: The gastrointestinal (GI) tract accounts for about 10% of the body's total energy expenditure. Functions Requiring Energy Digestion: The process of breaking down food involves various enzymes and muscular contractions (peristalsis), which require energy. Absorption: The intestines actively transport nutrients, electrolytes, and water into the bloodstream, an energy-intensive process. Microbiome Activity: The gut microbiome also plays a role in energy consumption, as the metabolic activities of gut bacteria contribute to overall energy use. Factors Affecting Energy Use Diet: High-fiber diets can increase gut energy expenditure due to the energy required for fermentation and digestion. Meal Size and Composition: Larger meals or those high in protein and fat may require more energy for digestion and absorption. Summary The gut uses a notable amount of energy, primarily for digestion, absorption, and maintaining gut health, with its energy demands influenced by dietary factors and the overall digestive workload.

A Patchwork of Cannabis Laws Creates Health Risks, Study Finds

 Step back five years.  The only use for Cannabis was for a medical reason and required a doctor's prescription. Its accessibility was very limited.

So, back to the future today. What is new?

A new report calls for public education and closing of legal loopholes to keep the public safe.

The News

As more states have legalized the sale of cannabis, a fractured and inconsistent legal framework has emerged across the country that has prioritized sales income and tax revenue over public health, a new report finds.

The report, issued Thursday by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, describes an “urgent need for a coordinated public health response.” The Academies, a nonprofit advisory group of the nation’s leading scientists, said that such a response should include a federally-led campaign to educate parents, children, and others about the risks of an increasingly potent drug.

Among the other suggestions, the report also calls for a lifting of research restrictions on cannabis. In recent years, many claims have been made about the medicinal and other health effects of the drug but often without substantiation from science.

Potency

Currently, 24 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories have legalized the sale of cannabis for recreational use, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures. In 13 other states, cannabis is legal for medicinal use.

Even as a patchwork of laws and regulations have emerged, the potency of cannabis products has surged, as measured by the growing concentration of THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis. 

The rapid increases have left the public unaware of the health risks, particularly to young people, pregnant women and seniors, according to Yasmin Hurd, director of the Addiction Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine and the vice chair of the committee that issued the latest report.

Given the potency changes and the proliferation in varieties of products, “cannabis is no longer the same drug as what people thought they were voting on,” Dr. Hurd said. “There is a consensus that we need educational campaigns.”

Dr. Hurd emphasized a related key finding of the report: There is a booming industry for unregulated products derived from hemp, including ones containing delta-8 THC, another psychoactive substance that some manufacturers have learned to extract from hemp. The report calls on Congress to address what Ms. Hurd called “loopholes” that have led to the spread of such products.

Recommendations

The report was sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Cancer Institute, among other funders. The report, in addition to seeking action at the federal level, recommended action at the state level, including the adopting of product standards, like those for food, medicine, and dietary supplements.

States that have decriminalized or legalized cannabis should follow suit by sealing criminal records or expunging cases of prior “low-level” cannabis-related offenses, the report noted. And, the report added, the states should better enforce minimum-age requirements to prevent access to the drug to young people, just as the states “would for alcohol or tobacco sales.”

The report also called for states to require “training and certification” for workers at cannabis retailers. The training, the report said, “should address the effects of cannabis on humans, prevention of sales to minors” and “warnings about cannabis-impaired driving.”

The final incentive is tax revenue, which is considerable.

When purchasing cannabis in California, consumers should be aware that the effective tax rate can be substantial due to the combination of state, local, and excise taxes. Always check local regulations as they can change frequently.  n California, the taxation of cannabis involves several layers, including state excise taxes, sales taxes, and local taxes. Here are the key components:

State Excise Tax

Rate: 15% of the retail price.

Applicable to: All sales of cannabis and cannabis products.

Sales Tax

Rate: Typically ranges from 7.25% to 10.25%, depending on the local jurisdiction.

Applicable to: All cannabis sales.

Local Taxes

Many local governments impose additional taxes on cannabis businesses, which can vary significantly. These can be based on:

Gross receipts: Often a percentage of total sales, ranging from 1% to 10%.

Square footage: A tax based on the size of the facility.

Additional Considerations

Cultivation Tax: There is also a cultivation tax on cannabis flowers, leaves, and immature plants, which varies based on the product type.

With the increased use of Cannabis and its new potency research is indicated. 

Sources of Funding

Government Grants

National Institutes of Health (NIH): Provides grants for research on the health effects of cannabis.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Offers funding specifically for studies related to cannabis and its effects.

State-level initiatives: Some states allocate funds for cannabis research, particularly in contexts of medical use.

Private Foundations

Various non-profit organizations and foundations are dedicated to cannabis research, funding studies on its medical benefits, social impacts, and economic effects.

Universities and Academic Institutions

Many universities are establishing dedicated centers or programs for cannabis research, often funded through grants, donations, and partnerships with private sectors.

Pharmaceutical Companies

As the market for cannabis-derived products grows, pharmaceutical companies are investing in research to develop cannabis-based medications.

Crowdfunding

Some researchers turn to crowdfunding platforms to finance specific projects or studies related to cannabis.

Areas of Research

Funding supports a wide range of research areas, including:

Medical applications (pain management, epilepsy, mental health).

Social and economic impacts of legalization.

Agricultural practices related to cannabis cultivation.

Public health studies focusing on consumption patterns and effects.

Challenges

Despite the increasing funding, challenges remain:

Regulatory Barriers: Cannabis research is often hindered by federal regulations and the classification of cannabis as a Schedule I substance.

Stigma: Ongoing stigma can affect the willingness of some institutions and funders to support cannabis research.

Conclusion

The landscape of cannabis research funding is evolving, with more opportunities arising as societal views shift. Researchers interested in this field should stay informed about funding opportunities and regulatory changes.