Anti-aging: Myth or reality

Aging of the world populations embodies a remarkable success of humankind and a source of challenge. Aging is a complex, continuous, multifactorial process that is accompanied by a progressive loss of physical and mental functions and the onset of various age-related diseases, which are not caused by aging per se. Currently, an increasing number of people are asking to arrive at advanced age in good health overcoming the modifications elicited by aging (the dream of remaining young forever). In the past decades there have been remarkable advances in the understanding of the aging process from results of biogerontological research in experimental models, that is, life extension through genetic manipulation or caloric restriction, which have not yet demonstrated to prolong human life. Therefore, adhesion to a healthy lifestyle (i.e., smoking cessation, a balanced diet, regular physical and mental activity) is still the most prudent, clinically validated advice to promote healthy aging.