In the May-June 2009 issue of the prestigious Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, an international journal published by Elsevier, Prof. Dr. Imre Zs.-Nagy, of the University of Debrecen Medical and Health Science Center (Hungary), and founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/archger), presents numerous studies documenting a diverse array of anti-aging medical therapeutics that currently exist and are being applied in the clinical setting today, as well as interventions that are in the laboratory stage, to slow, prevent, and perhaps even reverse the degenerative diseases of aging and the degenerative biological processes which lead to premature disease, disability, dependence, and death.

Further, Dr. Zs.-Nagy expresses his opinions on the use of the hGH as an anti-aging medical intervention. The Editorial attempts to point out the main clinical results of hGH replacement therapy (hGHRT) in light of the “Membrane Hypothesis of Aging” (MHA), which Dr. Zs.-Nagy submits as offering a solid basis for the interpretation of the observed beneficial effects of hGH.

Dr. Zs.-Nagy proposes an independent, open-minded approach to the fundamental differences of opinion regarding anti-aging medical interventions, and encourages readers to join him to “reconcile fundamental differences of opinion and achieve the realistic goal of a consensus in aging intervention.”

Read More

Toners, as far as facial skin care products go, represent a big debate.  A lot of beauty experts consider it as unnecessary while others can’t imagine their beauty regimens without it.  Should you or should you not go with a toner?

Most dermatologists today agree that a toner no longer has a necessary place in facial skin care products.  A toner’s main job is to remove leftover chemicals on your skin - makeup, cleanser residue and other elements that can cause blockage on your pores.  If you use a good cleanser, though, they should ably clean off all the makeup, apart from easily washing off with water, leaving no traces behind.

Of course, this angers many beauty experts, who feel that leaving out the swabbing renders your beauty regimen incomplete.  According to them, toning is an important step in skin care, especially if you have excessively oily skin or wear a lot of makeup during the day.  It goes without saying, though, that they all recommend alcohol-free toners that are non-irritating on your skin.

Personally, I agree with the majority that toners are an optional step in facial skin care products.  In fact, I find its function to be redundant, doing exactly what cleansers are already supposed to do.  It’s a remnant of old habits, back when cleansing facial skin care products left heavy residues on the skin.

Men, for the most part, try to worry little about beauty care and facial skin treatments.  In fact, it would be fair to say that most men would rather just live with whatever besets their skin instead of jump through hoops in order to care for it.  Taking care of your skin should be a priority, though, whatever gender you are.

Get To Know Your Skin

Visit an esthetician or dermatologist and ask them for information about your skin type as well as any conditions that they notice about it.  Inquire about facial skin treatments that are right for you, along with daily products you can use to improve your skin’s overall appearance.

Getting A Facial

A facial will solve a good number of your existing skin problems - blackheads, whiteheads, rough patches and more.  There are, of course, more advanced facial skin treatments that will probably do you good.  Let’s start with a facial though - that hill looks way easier to climb.

Looking Fresh

Guys, for the most part, tend to act like guys.  They drink carelessly, smoke occasionally and stay out too long under the sun playing sports or whatever other activity passes off for male bonding.  As you may expect, all of these things takes the moisture out of your skin, often leaving it sallow and sickly.  A daily regimen of cleansing and moisturizing should help keep the problem at bay.

A new article in The Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences reveals that African American women aged 60 and older who volunteer in elementary schools are not only more physically active than their non-volunteering counterparts, but seem to sustain this physical activity over time. Specifically, those who volunteered burned twice as many calories as those who did not.

This study, led by Erwin Tan, PhD, of the Johns Hopkins University, suggests that the country’s investment in national and community service programs can simultaneously be an investment in public health.

“For our volunteers,” Tan said, “volunteering with children may be as good for their health as a gym membership. For our children, the wisdom that our older adults have is priceless.” He added that, due to their enjoyment of working with children, the volunteers may be more willing to keep up with this approach in the long term, compared with traditional exercise programs.

Read More

The fact that an animal’s lifetime is prolonged by decreasing its sugar ingestion is commonly recognized. In a study published in the journal PLoS Genetics, scientists from the Université de Montréal, reveal that sugar in itself is not the key element but the cells’ capacity to detect its presence is.

The intricate works of the process of aging are still not clearly defined. The link between aging and calorie consumption is certainly obvious to researchers. For instance, why do mice live 40 percent longer when their calorie intake is reduced by half?

Biochemistry Professor Luis Rokeach, Université de Montréal, and his student Antoine Roux, as part of the PLoS Genetics study, were astonished at their findings. They established that after removing the gene of a glucose sensor from yeast cells, the lifespan was the same as for those on a glucose restricted diet. In brief, the outcome of these cells relies on what they think they are eating and not on what they are really eating.

Read More