The Huge Potential of the New Science of Medicine

Bowhead Whales Live Longer That Any Other Mammal

The promise of medical science to help us live longer healthier lives has never been greater. It is the most exciting time ever and some are even beginning to say that immortality is possible. Healthy longevity is a topic that I have studied for thirty years and immortality is a stretch, but much longer and healthier lives are definitely possible. In fact, a small study of 160 people with high risk type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease over 21 years has already proved that we can extend healthier life by eight years based on what we knew two decades ago. Medical science is racing forward at a torrid pace and AI will only accelerate the process. We can extend life even further now.

The current widely held ideas of chronic disease and aging are completely outdated. Most people believe the rate of human aging and our lifespan is fixed. The Psalms of the Old Testament say: "The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away." We have thought that we just wear out like an old shoe. There is a huge body of evidence that tells us that is not the case. Humans can live considerably longer than 70 or 80 years now and there is every reason to believe that we can be healthy and fully functional much longer than before.

Consider the fact that very similar animals have very different average lifespans. The whales are mammals like we are. Bowhead whales live over 200 years. Bowhead whales are known to be the longest-living mammals, with some individuals estimated to live up to 268 years. This lifespan was determined through genetic research and the discovery of a harpoon point from the 19th century embedded in one specimen. Look at the various species of baleen whales in the image above that eat tiny krill and fish that they filter out from large quantities of water. The bowhead and right whales are different species but they are about the same size. I would have trouble telling them apart in the ocean. You would think they have similar lifespans but the bowhead whale lives twice as long as the right whale

Now just consider what this means. There are no assisted living facilities or nursing homes for bowhead whales. They are like humpbacks. They identify schools of krill or tiny fish. They take in a huge mouthful of water full of these creatures, and then they strain them our. They must be fully functional to survive. They must identify these schools of small fish and capture them. They are living 200 years without assistance.

There are several species of baleen whales. They live very similar lives and they feed in the same way. They have widely different lifespans. Baleen whales exhibit a wide range of lifespans. The blue whale may live for 70-90 years. The minke whale, on the other hand, typically lives for 30-50 years. The bowhead whale lives four times as long as a minke whale and three times as long as a human. Why?

The answer is fantastic news for everyone that is interested in a longer healthier life. We don’t just wear out at a predetermined rate. Many scientists are working on the reasons that bowhead whales live so long. Just look at the number of prominent institutions involved in this research. The rate of aging and chronic diseases is governed by genetics, even more by gene regulation or epigenetics and then by excess oxidant production and increased inflammation caused by abnormal gene activation. Increased oxidants and inflammation change the activity of even more genes and that changes molecular biology. Now we know enough about this science to apply practical lifestyle and medical interventions that can slow down aging and delay the onset of chronic diseases. I will take a deeper dive into why these whales live longer healthier lives in my next free post on Thursday.