What is the priority in the problem of ageing?
Chair of Labour Environment and Safety, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, EE19086 Tallinn, Estonia; e-mail: ulo.kristjuhan@ttu.ee
Abstract:
What should we do to help solve the problem of postponing ageing? What is the priority? Let us define human ageing as accumulation of damage in the human organism that increases the probability of death. There are various problems of ageing: psychological ageing, biological ageing, etc. The central problem is biological ageing. If biological ageing is postponed, diminishing and postponing of diseases and increase in the older workers’ ability to work are possible. People can stay healthy longer and countries save on social expenses. The problem of biological ageing is complex due to many different subproblems and adhering problems. Research in biological ageing is relatively poorly funded. Its funding and research depend on gaining public attention to this research. Many scientists think that there are no solutions for postponing ageing. Factually, no problem will be solved if we proceed from the assumption that the problem is not solvable. Researchers need popular support for the concept that ageing is a solvable problem. Higher public interest in biological ageing research compared to the present is possible through research of the causes of the average life expectancies of big contingents (countries, big population groups) and also interventions based on the risk factors of all-cause mortality. Studies of different causes of mortality in various countries may point to new risk factors to health and ageing. Interventions according to the known risk factors to age-related diseases can postpone these diseases and ageing markedly, by 10–20 years, and also increase the public interest in research in biological ageing. Key words: biological ageing, biomedical gerontology, health, life expectancy, research priority, risk factors.
Key words:
Almost all organisms are ageing. Researchers have only not found ageing