Humanity is headed off a cliff as infertility becomes the 3rd most common disease of the 21st century, according to @WHO. Why infertility is increasing at such a pace is unclear
A new study may shed light. Microplastics are shown to cause abnormalities in the mobility & structure of sperm🐁 & reduce mitochondria in nurse cells by inhibiting SIRT1-PGC-1a ... sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
20% of couples struggle with infertility (50-60% are male issues). By 2100, 97% of countries will be unable to maintain their population
"The implications are immense...These future trends in fertility rates and livebirths will completely reconfigure the global economy and the international balance of power and will necessitate reorganising societies." healthdata.org/news-events/ne…
Sources of polystyrene microplastics: water, fish, "cosmetic products, drugs, paints, medical & electronic devices. In cosmetics, mostly in face-cleansing products, exfoliating agents for hand washing, and peeling formulas" sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
The general fertility rate in the United States decreased by 3% from 2022 to 2023, reaching a historic low. From 2014 to 2020, the rate consistently decreased by 2% annually. The birth rate for women ages 20–24 (55.4) reached a record low. cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom…
"Among the cultural shifts affecting fertility rates, one of the more prominent changes has been Americans delaying or forgoing marriage..." @pewresearch
"Women are marrying later in life, and birth rates for single women are less than half that of those who are married"...
"Women are also delaying having children until later in life—part of the reason why fertility rates have dropped among women in their 20s, which has more than offset increases for women in their late 30s and 40s..."
Low fertility is likely to affect several major revenue streams in the coming decades... pewtrusts.org/en/research-an…
In recent budget proposals or revenue forecasts, several states noted declining fertility. California called out the combination of early retirements that have taken place during the pandemic and lower fertility and migration rates... lao.ca.gov/Publications/R…
California’s senior population will nearly double by 2030...“With rising cost of living and an already tight housing market, it could become increasingly difficult for the remaining working-age Californians to support the aging population."
As income from taxation declines due to fewer people in the workforce. Who will pay for the debt?
There are two viable solutions: 1. Slow the birth rate decline 2. Delay aging and keep people in the workforce
Our calculated economic benefits of extending healthspan by 1 year in the USA = $38T nature.com/articles/s4358…
@WHO .@elonmusk is 🎯 about the existential risk of low birthrates
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Amazing! Placing mice in low air pressure every other day slows hair loss, weight gain, osteoporosis & extends median lifespan by 12%. Ascribed to the killing of senescent, zombie cells
Could exercise, high altitude, or a drug have similar benefits? Let’s dig in🧵
Firstly, hypobaric (low) pressure should not to be confused with hyper-baric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which is also studied by longevity researchers, though there may be overlapping hormetic mechanisms between the two @NaturePortfolio
I’ve always wondered if living at a high altitude is healthier, but the evidence is weak. Maybe it needs to be pulsed: high pressure -> low pressure -> high pressure -> low pressure to induce hormesis
New study indicates that a decrease in nerve cell cholesterol caused by cortisol, inflammation & low SIRT1 activity may be a cause of major depression.
So, do statins exacerbate depression?
And since SIRT1 is NAD⁺-dependent, could NAD⁺ boosters treat or prevent depression? …🧵
Around 5–5.7% of adults worldwide experience depressive disorders at any given time. >280 million people!
Lifetime depression diagnoses in the U.S. have risen. ~29% report ever being diagnosed, up from ~20% a decade ago
CBD, or cannabidiol, is the second most prevalent active ingredient in marijuana, with no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are used to treat various degenerative diseases. Their therapeutic potential is limited by their aging in the dish as they are expanded in number. The researchers tested if CBD could help
This study in 2008 was the first evidence for the information theory of aging in mammals - the idea that DNA breaks and other major stresses cause chromatin modifiers like SIRT1 to relocate, which disrupts the epigenome & changes the expression of genes in ways that cause aging
Just re-read this paper and I’ve realized it was 15 years ahead of its time. Still is
Some plant polyphenols (resveratrol, quercetin & berberine) turn out to be dual modulators of both SIRT1 & GSK3b - important pathways for neuroprotection & epigenetic age resets... 🧵
In 2008, we showed movement of the NAD-dependent enzyme SIRT1 away from regulated genes to DNA breaks (which happen every day in every cell) is a key process in the loss of epigenetic information that we have proposed leads to aging and diseases cell.com/fulltext/S0092…
And in 2023, we showed GSK3b inhibitors are a key component of epigenetic age reversal cocktails, in vitro aging-us.com/article/204896