Group of experts created to prolong life

BY JOAQUIN ORAMAS

A group of international experts who are specialists in each of life’s stages has been established with the aim of prolonging life, it was announced at the first scientific conference of the 120 Years Club.

In attendance were José Ramón Fernández, vice president of the Council of State; a diplomatic representation of the 1,700-plus members of the association, which emerged in September of 2003 as a department of the Caribbean Medical Association (AMECA); and medical specialists.

During a master lecture by Professor Eugenio Selman, president of the club’s organizing committee, confirmed that there are more than 2,000 applications from 20 regions to join the club. He reported that the acceptance committee is discussing membership criteria based on the moral and ethical characteristics of those interested in joining.

In referring to the club’s goals, Professor Selman talked extensively on life expectancy, explaining that human beings should reach the age of 120, given that every animal lives fivefold its growth period. Thus, given that humans grow until they are 21 or 25 years old, their lives could last 120 years.

Going into detail on the subject, Prof. Selman recalled that at the beginning of the 20th century, life expectancy was 40 years, rising to 75 years worldwide by its end. In Japan, the rate stands at 80 years for men and 81 for women, while in Cuba the average is 76.8 years and should overtake Japan’s in the near future.

He pointed out the increased number of people over 100, some of them aged 120 or more, but also took note of the situation of those older adults who are suffering from disabilities or needs. Moreover, as a product of modern society, retired people in many countries become a social burden.

During his analysis, Selman indicated that in the more developed countries and even in Cuba, the birthrate is decreasing and the number of older adults who are not productive is increasing. That is a problem that needs to be addressed, he said, by ensuring that people live to be 120 with a satisfying level of activity.

The Cuban professor stressed the interrelationship of the different stages of life, and announced that after the 1st International Conference on Satisfactory Longevity, a group of international experts was created to deal with each stage of life, including pre-fertilization. When couples commit themselves to having children, that should be the moment for medical checks and care, thus ensuring that when fertilization occurs, the ovule is not handicapped by congenital defects or the genes of avoidable diseases if adequate measures are adopted, he explained.

He announced the presence at the conference of some of the coordinators of the groups of international experts, who specialize in areas such as genetics, care during pregnancy, birth, primary and secondary childhood, adolescence, young adults and older adults. Other groups included nutritionists, experts in physical education and others.

It has been proven that individuals comes into the world with their own characteristics, Selman affirmed, adding that human beings are the most perfect organism in nature. He cited the human heart as an example, explaining that no man-made engine could surpass it in efficiency.

The heart is a pump that contracts 72 times per minute on average (multiply that by one minute, one hour or many years). It is an organ that receives no maintenance or rest periods throughout life’s years. Professor Selman also cited microscopic neurons, saying that no computer chip exists that comes close to their ability. While the total number is unknown, he said, it is a fact that the human brain contains more than one billion neurons.

The professor emphasized that human beings are a single unit, given that the dichotomy posed in the distant past does not exist. He cited Hippocrates, the father of Medicine, and reiterated that the soul and body are a single unit composed of interrelated mechanisms and systems that function together. Thus, when one of them is affected, the other mechanisms and systems of the organism are endangered.

He explained that the brain governs the whole human organism, although humans only use 15-20% of its capacity, because they have not yet learned to train it, even though it is known that its capacity can be increased indefinitely. The brain even decides when a disease can be cured or has no solution.

For more information: redac2@granmai.cip.cu