X-Message-Number: 13468
Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2000 09:36:03 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: CryoNet #13435 - #13436

To Mike Darwin:
What I have to say on the question of atheroschlerosis does not at
all contradict what you have said. I am looking at the problem from
a statistical standpoint, in which we find that early or relatively
early deaths (say) 200 years ago were much more frequent than now.
Researchers into aging have noticed this phenomenon; one good source
is papers in HANDBOOK OF AGING (BIOLOGICAL). 

Sure, someone who is wealthy and has control both over where he lives
and what he eats would be likely to live longer even if he was born
3000 years ago. The real issue here is what happens to all the OTHER
people of his time who were NOT wealthy and lacked the control that
a member of the royal family might have over just how and where they
lived. The change in average lifespans in which many more people live
past the age of 50 came with industrialization, which even 200 years
ago was just beginning.

The drugs you mention are interesting. One thing that has happened with
some drugs, unfortunately, is that they do a fine job in preventing 
(say) death from one form of heart disease but when the statistics of
those who take them are compared to that of those who do not, surprize!
the overall death rate remains close. Maybe a little bit better, by
1% or 2%, but hardly more. And those who (again, as an example) would
have died of a heart attack instead die of a stroke.

One thing I have NOT looked into is the question of whether or not
statins have shown a better effect on statistical death rate than
their effect on heart disease might predict --- in short, have any
healthy mammals lived significantly longer than normal when taking
them. I will try to find the time to look into this, but if you
know of any lifespan experiments I'd like to know of them.

I am happy to provide further references to anyone on Cryonet who
asks for them.

			Best and long long life,

				Thomas Donaldson

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