What is Senescence?
In the strictest scientific sense, senescence means the period of decline that follows the development phase in an organism’s life. This word is derived from the Latin word senex meaning "old age." In the longevity and healthy aging fields, senescence is the decline in health and function associated with aging. There are several sub-terms that will often come up:Cellular Senescence
When cells lose the ability to divide because of DNA damage or a shortening of telomeres, they go through a transformation that results in decline or destruction. The cells either self-destruct (called apoptosis) or go into a period of decline (called senescence). The end result is cell death. Cell death is a normal part of biological functioning and occurs regularly in your body. In fact, cancer cells are thought to be cells that no longer undergo the process of senescence and instead, continue to replicate and cause problems (and tumors).Your Body and Senescence
While cellular senescence may be a good thing because cells are continually replacing themselves, your body will, eventually go into a period of decline known as organismal senescence. In this type of senescence, the accumulated damage to your body begins to interfere with the body’s ability to function. This interference causes the effects we often associate with aging.Longevity and Senescence
Your goal, then, is to slow the process of senescence as much as possible. You can do this by:- Eating a Healthy Diet: This provides your body with the nutrients it needs to repair damage and fight off future damage.
- Reducing Stress: This prevents long-term damage from over-exposure to the stress hormones and the physiological state they create.
- Avoiding Exposure: This help limit the amount of damage to your body’s tissues. Avoid over-exposure to UV lights, pollution and toxins.
- Exercise More: This helps you body to build strong tissues that resist damage.
- Prevent Disease: See your doctor for routine checkups and keep your blood pressure, weight and other risk factors under control.
