Latest Senior Health News World Population Grows Older, but at a Cost Elder Boom Will Be Felt Worldwide Dementia Increasing Among the 'Oldest Old' Fish Oil Supplements Boost Memory Strength Training Is Good for Seniors Want More News. A protective mechanism used by cells to stay alive when oxygen levels are low (called a hypoxic response) promotes longevity and helps defend against some age-related diseases, a new study finds. "This is a completely new pathway for aging and age-associated disease," senior Marlow Kaeberlein, an assistant professor of pathology at the University of Washington, Seattle, said in a university news release.

The study is in the issue of the journal Science. Sign Up for MedicineNet Newsletters. In addition, the worms' cells contain fewer toxic proteins that might accumulate and clump together as they age. Learning more about the cellular mechanisms that prevent accumulation of. His team found that nematode worms live longer if they're also able to switch on the hypoxic response when oxygen levels are normal.

Buildups of toxic protein occur in the brain cells of people with Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease and a number of other degenerative conditions seen in the elderly, the researchers noted.