Longevity Dividend

This is a new topic created as a split off from International Conference on Healthy Aging & Longevity thread, and also related to the previous "The Scientist" magazine article.


Here is what Dr. Olshansky wrote:
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Dear fellow scientists and public health advocates:
In March of this year we published an article in The Scientist entitled “In Pursuit of the Longevity Dividend” (attached) in which we contend that the time has arrived for governments and national health care organizations to invest in the extension of healthy life by recognizing that one of the most efficient ways to do so would be to aggressively pursue the means to slow aging in humans. We suggest that even a relatively small deceleration in the rate of aging would yield the equivalent of simultaneous major breakthroughs involving every major fatal and non-fatal disease and disorder associated with aging. As a way to follow through with our recommendation, we are planning an event on Capitol Hill on September 12, 2006. At this event there will be U.S. Senators from both sides of the isle, Nobel Laureates, representatives of national and international health organizations, and scientists – all of whom will be advocating an investment in the pursuit of the Longevity Dividend. We would like the attached 2-page document [ LongevityDividend.doc ] to represent a summary of our collective enthusiasm and support for this effort – a document we anticipate will be endorsed by a large number of scientists, health advocates, public health experts, and anyone else interested in seeing an increased effort to pursue the extension of healthy life. This document will be handed to representatives of Congress as evidence of our commitment and support. We would like to you consider placing your name on this document [all of the names will appear in alphabetical order]. Should you decide you are willing to lend your name to this, please send an e-mail with your name as you would like it to appear, your degree(s), and affiliation to S. Jay Olshansky sjayo@uic.edu with Longevity Dividend in the subject heading. In most cases a simple reply to this e-mail would suffice. A copy of the final document will be sent to everyone just before the September 12 event. I would encourage you to disseminate these articles far and wide – we see this as an international effort.

With Best Wishes,
S. Jay Olshansky
Daniel Perry
Richard Miller
Robert Butler

I have two attachments but I don't know how to attach them. If anyone wants a copy of the articles you're free to disseminate them at will.
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I am including one of his attachments as an attachment to this message, and the other as the first reply.

Edited by Live Forever, 15 August 2007 - 01:07 AM.

Here is the second attachment

Reason blogged about this subject at FightAging and Betterhumans:
http://www.betterhum...dorsements.aspx

I also started an Action and Outreach thread on ways that we might be able to help out this effort (to contact your senator, and any other ideas people have):
http://www.imminst.o...=142&t=11853&s=


I am of the personal opinion that this is a great effort. Some may say that the effort does not go far enough in the goals of beating aging, but you have to remember that these are politicians and public policy we are dealing with. You can't come right out and say things like "we want to beat aging" right off the bat. This effort has the potential to be a significant turning point in public policy, and if successful would lead to great steps on the road to curing aging. This is exactly what is needed at this point in time, and I hope everyone can get behind the effort!

[thumb] [thumb] [thumb]

You can't come right out and say things like "we want to beat aging" right off the bat.

Of course one can ;-) Anyway, what these guys want to do and what SENS people want to do is just pure, distilled synergy. Go for it!

I'm certainly very strongly in support of this initiative. Note that their text doesn't even include any counterpart of their dismisal of SENS from the Scientist paper, and they're even a bit more elliptical than in the paper about compression of morbidity. All in all it's as big-tent as can be. If anyone can pull this off they can.

This is definitely good news. Of course it isn't the be-all-end-all of efforts, but no one effort is going to be. Life extension will be achieved through a combination of efforts that occur along different avenues. Memetically, this is an amazing accomplishment. I just wish now that I had the credentials to sign it. (I don't think, "Sent a pile of dirt to John Schloendorn" counts).

I was just going to inquire about the text that Dr. Olshansky wrote which says "an event on Capitol Hill on September 12, 2006".

Is this like an official congressional proposal event? ..or perhaps a more informal event?

I was just wondering if there would be a point that there was an official proposal that was presented, and wondering if this was it or not. When I hear the term "event" I think of a barbeque or something.

The list of endorsers is growing rapidly -- you can keep up with the document at the following website http://www.agingrese...nd/overview.pdf
We should know more about what is going to happen on the 12th of September within the next two weeks.
S. Jay Olshansky

Pertaining to the .pdf; Wow, so many Ph.D.'s , M.D.'s amongst others mentioned, now that's power. [sfty] With distinguished people like these I can only hope Congress is smart enough to listen keenly as to what will be said. Undoubtedly, what the mentioned people stand for has the potential to help humankind as a whole, particularly when it comes to quality of life.

Wow, you are right. That is quite a list, and apparently growing all the time. This is really very exciting.

Sjayo, please let us know if there is anyway Imminst can help you out.

What has happened to this initiative? What has happened on the 12th of September on Capitol Hill?? Has anybody informations about some results, articles, other media coverage and so on!?

This was a very prudent bump!

The event in D.C. on the 12th of September went extremely well. Senator Craig kicked off the meeting using the language of the Longevity Dividend to suggest that health care spending will swamp the budget unless we pursue this initiative. Several of us met with Senator Harkin personally after the meeting to discuss the idea. He subsequently asked us for language to place in the appropriations bill, which we did. We're now drafting a follow-up to the Longevity Dividend calling for a paradigm shift in the way at which we look at aging and disease. It's important that we begin using the language of the Longevity Dividend to keep up the momentum.
Regards,
S. Jay Olshansky

Here is a link containing copies of the slides used by everyone during the event in D.C., and the video of the event.
http://www.agingrese...nd/overview.cfm
S. Jay Olshansky

that's excellent!

Great work Dr. Olshansky. It's very much appreciated here.

Here is a link containing copies of the slides used by everyone during the event in D.C., and the video of the event.
http://www.agingrese...nd/overview.cfm
S. Jay Olshansky

I watched the videos while working; they were rather good. I really liked the consensus to be cautiously optimistic.

Kudos indeed. We are in striking distance of putting a serious dent in the negative affects aging. Diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer and all other pathologies are going to fall like dominoes over the coming decades but a very important point that Dr. Olshansky makes is...

"A minor development in the field of aging, a small deceleration in the rate of the biological process of aging would yield the equivelent of a major breakthrough against every fatal and non fatal disease that exists today."

Well said Dr. Olshansky.

Maybe they are just being cautious in terms of their wording. especially the idea that they can extend life by 7 years and reduce the period of suffering before death. I don't know how you can make a person live a healthier life and the all of a sudden just drop dead when they are healthy.

Wouldn't something like caloric restriction do exactly what they are talking about at the moment?

I have strong reason to doubt that medical science and the pharmaceutical industry will ever be able to produce the full range of benefits to be obtained from natural calorie restriction, fasting and vegetarianism. Dr. Guarente basically says this in the video. Put me down as being in favor of creating a society or way of life that puts great emphasis on calorie restriction, fasting, and vegetarianism in its natural form and not through some artificial quick fix for short term goals. I just don't trust medical science, the pharmaceutical industry, and the government to do the job right.

@ sjayo:
Thank's for your fast answer, this really sounds promising. Being a German I'm not familiar with the details of US internal politics, so I hope that Senator Craig and Senator Harkin have enough influence and support within their parties and within the Congress, especially after the last elections. Asking for 3 billion dollars additionally - that is more than doubling the annual US-budget for aging research as far as I know - is a very ambitious goal, although I think 'in the long run' the arguments are on your side because of the demographic development.

@ all:
Isn't there really no more media coverage about the initiative since the Scientist articles?? I only know the short mentioning in the New York Times-story lately about caloric restriction: 'One for the Ages: A Prescription That May Extend Life':

http://www.imminst.o...f=69&t=13044&s=

Without public support it will be difficult even for respected researchers and powerful politicians to have success.

I am happy to see that this idea is still going strong. The Longevity Dividend Seminar took place the day preceding Transvision it appears:
http://ieet.org/inde...londiv20070723/

The speakers included the following:
Jay Olshansky Ph.D.
Anders Sandberg Ph.D.
David Meltzer M.D., Ph.D.
Ron Bailey
Aubrey de Grey Ph.D.
Nick Bostrom Ph.D.
James Hughes Ph.D.
George Dvorsky

Hadn't really heard anything on it, but I thought it deserved a mention. I am glad this concept is pushing forward.

Here is a transcript of George Dvorsky's talk at the Seminar:
http://ieet.org/inde...ytrans20070723/

[thumb]

I am happy to see that this idea is still going strong. The Longevity Dividend Seminar took place the day preceding Transvision it appears:
http://ieet.org/inde...londiv20070723/

The speakers included the following:
Jay Olshansky Ph.D.
Anders Sandberg Ph.D.
David Meltzer M.D., Ph.D.
Ron Bailey
Aubrey de Grey Ph.D.
Nick Bostrom Ph.D.
James Hughes Ph.D.
George Dvorsky

Hadn't really heard anything on it, but I thought it deserved a mention. I am glad this concept is pushing forward.

Here is a transcript of George Dvorsky's talk at the Seminar:
http://ieet.org/inde...ytrans20070723/

[thumb]

And here is a bit of coverage for the event:
http://reason.com/ne...how/121564.html

...as well as a recap by Dvorsky himself:
http://ieet.org/inde...vorsky20070729/
(with pics, presumably from someone's digital camera at the event)

"A minor development in the field of aging, a small deceleration in the rate of the biological process of aging would yield the equivelent of a major breakthrough against every fatal and non fatal disease that exists today."

I wasn't sure where to put this headline, but I thought it was related to the whole concept of slowing the aging process and making people healthier (and it was a nice opportunity to bump an exciting old thread)

Combination of exercise and supplements keep older people fit for longer.

I am glad to see this type of research as it continues to tilt the perception of life extension in our favor.

Most of us here would expect the type of results obtained in the study. I am just left wondering why they didn't figure it out years ago.