I think that the following summary, which I recently received, and
perhaps most of the linked full report will be useful reading to most
readers of this group.

--Paul

KLRI RELEASES 3rd ANNUAL REPORT ON YEAR'S TOP LONGEVITY RESEARCH FINDINGS

Vitamin D Deficiency Particularly Concerning in Older Americans


Washington, D.C., Tuesday, May 12, 2009 --- Today the Kronos Longevity Research
Institute (KLRI) released its third annual report on top longevity research
findings over the last year. Link to the report here:
http://www.kronosinstitute.org/publications/reports/sos_2009.cfm

Director S. Mitchell Harman, Ph.D. was joined by Carey Gleason, Ph.D., Associate
Scientist/Geriatric Neuropsychologist from the University of Wisconsin and
Arthur Weltman, Ph.D., Professor for the Department of Human Services and
Department of Medicine, University of Virginia to discuss the findings. Leading
aging research institutes and advocacy groups attended the event.

"KLRI continues its mission to bring top longevity research from the laboratory
to patient care with the release of our annual report," said Harman. "We have
seen many advances in our understanding of the aging process this year. This
research is the cornerstone of our ability as scientists and doctors to help
people live longer, healthier lives."

The state of the science report "Grey is the New Gold 2009: Optimism in
Longevity Science" explored the following issues.

Vitamin D. Vitamin D is turning out to be a critically important vitamin for
all aspects of health, particularly those related to aging. Low levels have
been linked to urinary incontinence, problems swallowing (dysphagia), breathing
ability (increasing the risk of pneumonia), age-related macular degeneration,
dementia, influenza and several cancers, including colon, breast and prostate.
Yet 40 to 100 percent of elderly men and women living in the community, and more
than half of postmenopausal women taking osteoporosis medication, have
clinically low levels of vitamin D.

Oxidation, inflammation and insulin resistance. These are the "three horsemen
of aging," believed to underlie nearly all age-related diseases and processes.
Current work at KLRI includes a study to see if insulin sensitizers can reduce
inflammation and oxidative stress. Elsewhere in the country, researchers are
investigating the role of nutrition in stemming oxidation, inflammation and
insulin resistance, finding that powerful plant-based antioxidants called
polyphenols can prevent and reverse the effects of aging on memory brain cells
and function.

Telomeres and insulin resistance. Telomeres are caps on the end of a cell's
chromosomes that help keep chromosomes stable, just as the cap on a pen prevents
ink from leaking. With time, however, the telomere shrinks. The shorter the
telomere, the worse the cell functions and the closer it is to death. New
research suggests that, in addition to age, being overweight or obese can wreak
havoc on telomere length even in your twenties, thanks to insulin resistance.

Physical fitness and exercise training. To learn more about the benefits of
exercise in preventing age-related declines, KLRI researchers have begun a study
to measure the response of fit and unfit older men and women to two acute
stressors: a blood pressure test, which increases oxidative stress, and a
psychological test, which increases neuroendocrine stress, releasing
inflammatory chemicals. Researchers will also look for any link between
oxidative stress and neuroendocrine responses.

Calorie restriction. Numerous studies have found that restricting an animal's
calories by 25 to 30 percent can extend their lifespan. A five-year trial
called CALERIE (Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Restricted
Intake of Energy), which involves 250 healthy volunteers, ages 25 to 45,
assigned to either restrict their calories by 25 percent or be part of a control
group, has already produced some interesting data. For instance, calorie
restriction reduces insulin levels, core body temperature, energy expenditure
and DNA damage. It can also increase cellular resistance to stress proteins.

Hormones and aging. While the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS),
designed to evaluate the effect of estrogen on heart disease in younger,
postmenopausal women, continues, ancillary studies underway could provide
interesting data on other topics. These include menopause and age-related skin
changes and the effects of estrogen on blood cell function and the formation of
blood clots. Meanwhile, KLRI's TEAAM (Testosterone Effects on Atherosclerosis
in Aging Men) completed recruitment and is engaged in the research necessary to
track the effect of supplemental testosterone on a variety of age-related
markers. While both trials will examine the role of hormones in cognitive
function, research published this year from other studies found no effects from
either a low dose of estrogen or supplemental testosterone on cognition.

The Longevity Dividend. The Longevity Dividend is based on the theory that, if
we can intervene scientifically to slow the aging process and delay the onset of
age-related diseases, trillions of dollars now spent on health care could be
redirected to schools, energy, jobs, infrastructure-the "dividend." A group of
leading scientists hopes to convince the federal government to change medical
research funding from its focus on individual diseases to a focus that
recognizes the importance of research into the underlying biology of aging.
Only then, they contend, can the Longevity Dividend become a reality.

KLRI Research in 2008/2009. In addition to KLRI's longer-range studies on the
possible cardio-protective effects hormone replacement therapy in women close to
the menopausal transition (KEEPS) and the impact of testosterone on aging men
(TEAMM), KLRI conducted a number of other studies, including research published
in the Journal of the American Aging Association showing that statin use in
older adults does not negatively affect aerobic exercise or high-intensity
weight training; a March 2008 report published in the Hormonal and Metabolic
Research, which demonstrated that after 10 weeks on a high omega-3 fatty acid
diet participants demonstrated significantly greater insulin sensitivity and
lower levels of some circulating inflammatory markers, as well as releasing
fewer fat molecules; and a small pilot study that investigated the effects of
vinegar on hunger, fullness and glucose absorption over a three-hour period.


About the Kronos Longevity Research Institute (KLRI)

KLRI, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is a leader in developing new
modes of prevention and treatment to enhance human longevity. KLRI is the only
independent research institute devoted exclusively to translating basic
discoveries in the process of aging into useful tools, improved medical care and
healthier lives. KLRI's research is conducted by its own highly regarded
scientists and through collaborations with some of the nation's leading medical
research centers. Because KLRI conducts pioneering research in an area of
science that is poorly understood, KLRI offers the potential to make seminal
contributions that benefit not only the growing population of older Americans,
but people everywhere and generations to follow.