Understanding the aging process is one of the most exciting challenges in biomedicine today. In a short time, compared with other fields, we have advanced from almost complete mystery about this universal phenomenon to one of dawning clarity. With ever-lengthening life expectancy, the imperative of translating these new insights into better quality of life for older people is unmistakable. Evidence from many lines of research confirms that aging is a process of gradual accumulation of damage in cells and tissues of the body, leading eventually to frailty and increased risk from a spectrum of age-associated diseases, including the key diseases that affect cognitive and psychological wellbeing. The key to understanding longevity lies in the network of cell maintenance systems that cooperate to slow the accumulation of damage. Recognition that aging results from accumulation of damage also points to a role for lifestyle interventions (e.g. nutrition, exercise) to help prevent damage or promote repair. The challenge is therefore to reveal the specific kinds of damage that contribute to individual degenerative conditions linked to aging, and to identify and exploit the possible pathways for intervention.
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