UNDERSTANDING AGING & LONGEVITY

Course overview

The newly updated INR webinar Understanding Aging and Longevity: The Biopsychosocial Process focuses on a comprehensive analysis describing how an interaction of genes, personality structure, and learned behavioral interactions with the environment determine both 1 the rate and pattern of human aging and 2 how long a person will live, i.e., longevity. Want to live long and prosper? There will be a demonstration of how patterns of personality based behavioral habits such as diet, exercise, and stress management are more important than genetic factors in determining aging and longevity. Dr. Howard will explain why there is no such thing as normal aging and how every individual will age differently, even monozygotic identical twins. The role of genes to first protect humans through the major reproductive period and then program deterioration and eventual death through several pathways including killer genes will be explained. Recent research on mechanisms of aging and senescence of body cells and organs will be presented, including the Nine Molecular Hallmarks of Aging DNA damage, free radicals and oxidative stress, damaged proteins, etc. Dr. Howard will show that all human body organ systems age over time and how some of these reduce life span while others do not. How and where the brain ages will be demonstrated with an emphasis on evidence based strategies to prevent cognitive decline and dementia. There will be a discussion of why the average life span of an American has doubled in the last 150 years, an unprecedented increase in longevity in human history. The lifestyle characteristics common to super ager centenarians who have the longest and healthiest lives will be described. Dr. Howard will show that the major method to ensure a long and healthy life is not to die, i.e., to practice behavioral strategies that help avoid, delay, or survive the top ten causes of death that cause premature death in nearly four out of every five Americans. Dr. Howard will conclude by presenting evidence that ten behavioral habits associated with a Conscientious Personality Style may be the strongest predictors of having a long and healthy life.