“The Secrets of the Oldest Old”
by
L. Stephen Coles, M.D., Ph.D., Director and Doros Platika, M.D., CEO and Director
Supercentenarian Research Foundation
664 West Arbor Vitae Street, Suite 1 Inglewood, CA 90301-3160; USA E-mails: scoles@ucla.edu; scoles@grg.org; URLs: www.grg.org; www.supercentenarian-research-foundation.org;
Edmonton Aging Symposium
Saturday, March 31, 2007; [4:00 – 4:15] PM MDT Edmonton, Alberta; CANANDA
March 31, 2007 Secrets of the Oldest Old Slide 1.
Who is a Supercentenarian?
• While a Centenarian is anyone age 100 years or older, (Only 1 in 10,000 persons makes it into this category) • A Supercentenarian is anyone age 110 years or older (And only 1 in 5 million persons makes it into this category) • As of today (March 31st), there are 83 Validated Living Supercentenarians World Wide (31 US + 52 non-US, including one Canadian from Manitoba) • Oldest documented Supercentenarian in history was French woman Madame Jeanne-Louise Calment, who died in 1997 at 122 years, 164 days • Mrs. Julie Winnifred Bertrand of Quebec died on January 18, 2007 at 115 years, 124 days, and briefly was the oldest person in the world
• Once you were to make it to becoming a Supercentenarian, the chances of living even one more year is like flipping a coin (50-50)! • Therefore, these individuals are a very precious resource for humanity, and we need to act quickly else whatever they have to teach us will be gone forever
March 31, 2007 Secrets of the Oldest Old Slide 2.
How Can Supercentenarians Help Us To Live Longer and Healthier Lives?
• Compression of Morbidity that will lead to a healthier life in one’s later years (present company excepted) • Gene Discovery Program • Stem-Cell Advances • New pharmaceutical interventions with obvious commercial implications
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Slide 3.
Why Do Supercentenarians Live So Long?
• The most likely cause of death of Supercentenarians is called Senile Cardiac TTR-Amyloidosis (Diagnosis by Autopsy [4 of 7 in all of history] and not by what is written on Death Certificates) • Finding: We recognize that longevity is inherited (1st degree relatives also live a long time); BTW, Supercentenarians have practically nothing else in common, regardless of what they tell us is their “Secret” • Conclusion: The answer to longevity must lie in our genes • Corollary: Doing a simple DNA Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) analysis is expected to uncover a large number of “longevity” genes that determine human life expectancy and maximum lifespan
March 31, 2007 Secrets of the Oldest Old Slide 4.
CNN –TV on SRF (December 19, 2006; 8:39 AM PST; TRT = ~3 min.)
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Slide 5.
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Slide 6.
Pvt. George H. Johnson, 112 yo,
was the Oldest Person in California at the time he died. {Mother, 111, 110, 110, 112, Coles + Brian Johnson, Great Nephew}
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Slide 7.
George H. Johnson, 112 yo
Interview with Stan Primmer and Stephen Coles (June 18, 2006)
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Slide 8.
Pvt. George H. Johnson, 112 yo, Supercentenarian Veteran of World War I
Funeral Services (September 6, 2006)
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Slide 9.
USAF Lt. Col. Robert W. Johnson's [no relation] thoughtful Obituary
“CALIFORNIA’S OLDEST RESIDENT AND LAST WORLD WAR I VETERAN PASSES ON: PVT. GEORGE H. JOHNSON [1894 – 2006]”
September 1, 2006; Richmond, CA -- George H. Johnson, California’s oldest documented resident and the state’s last known surviving World War I veteran passed away on August 30th at his longtime residence in Richmond after a brief illness. He was 112. Pvt. George Johnson served in World War I for a short period and was in training for deployment overseas when the war ended in 1918. At the time of his death George was ranked 19th on the list of documented Supercentenarians around the world.
George was born in Philadelphia, PA on May 1, 1894 into a family with eight children. In his early youth homes had no electricity and there were no automobiles. George’s Father was of English and African descent and his mother was of Scandinavian ancestry. His father worked in the railroad industry and was in charge of train departure and arrival announcement at he main railroad station in Philadelphia. During one visit to his father’s office George met Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller. His mother served as a nurse for the Red Cross throughout World War I. During his youth George enjoyed watching baseball games through fence holes and recalls the city was heavily industrialized and there were neighborhood grocery stores nearby. At the time George was drafted into the Army in August of 1918, he was a newlywed working for the U.S Post Office. His military training was done at Camp Green, NC and Fort Dix, NJ. The large barracks where troops were housed had big potbellied stoves in the middle to provide heat. He recalls serving with the 14th Company of the 154th Battalion. He was mustered out of the Army before the end of 1918. Secrets of the Oldest Old
March 31, 2007
Slide 10.
Robert W. Johnson's Obituary
Very truly yours, Robert W. Johnson, Lt Col, USAF (Ret), Adjutant Department of California Veterans of World War I of the USA Tel/FAX: 310-675-8543 E-mail: robjo66@sbcglobal.net
Please limit your contacts to the above-signed between the working hours of [8:30 AM - 9 PM] PDT. Thank you.
Refs.: 1. Mary Rourke, "George Johnson, 112; World War I Vet Was Oldest Californian," The Los Angeles Times, p. B11 (September 1, 2006).
2. Charles Burress, "George Johnson -- State's Oldest Person," The San Francisco Chronicle, p. C6 (September 3, 2006).
3. Los Angeles Office of The Associated Press (September 1, 2006).
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Slide 11.
Pvt. George H. Johnson, 112 yo [May 1, 1894 – August 30, 2006]
Autopsy performed at the Palo Alto VA Hospital on August 31, 2006 and later at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Summary:
• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
March 31, 2007
Lungs: Bilateral Bronchopneumonia (Pleural Effusion)(No growth of bacteria in culture) Pleural Adhesions, secondary to inflammation? Brain: Unremarkable Heart: Clean (no atherosclerosis); Descending Aorta: Clean) Spine: Severe Osteoporosis (Left Shift of Bone Marrow) Pancreas: Fibrosis and Atrophy Liver: Acute Congestion Gall Bladder (one small stone) Testes: Atrophic Prostate: Severe BPH (clinical complaint was consistent) Kidneys: pyelonephritis; ischemic atrophy; nephrosclerosis Urinary Bladder: Trabeculated Colon: Diverticula Thyroid: Moderately Enlarged Eyes: Blindness, secondary to Glaucoma (Clinical Dx: 04/15/97)
Secrets of the Oldest Old Slide 12.
Palo Alto VA Hospital Preliminary Autopsy Diagnosis
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Slide 13.
Gross Anatomical Inspection
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Slide 14.
Brain
Top
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Bottom
Slide 15.
Descending Aorta
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Slide 16.
Microscopic Inspection
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Slide 17.
Acute and Organizing Pneumonia
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Slide 18.
Intramyocardial Arteries
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Slide 19.
Pituitary Gland
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Slide 20.
Pancreatic Atrophy and Fibrosis
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Slide 21.
Acknowledgements:
• Palo Alto Veteran’s Administration Hospital (PAVA)
Dr. Robert Rouse, M.D., Chief of Service Dr. Jon Kosek, M.D., Deputy Chief of Service Prof. Robert B. West, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Pathology; Sanford University School of Medicine
• Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Prof. Michael C. Fishbein, M.D., Chief-of-Service Prof. Harry V. Vinters, M.D., Chief of Neuropathology
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Slide 22.
Eulogy for Pvt. Johnson
by
Stephen Coles
URL: http://www.grg.org
This Eulogy Dedicated to Mr. George H. Johnson, age 112, on the occasion of his Memorial Service at Sunset View Mausoleum; El Cerrito, CA; USA on Thursday, September 7, 2006; 11:30 AM PDT accompanied by a 21-gun salute…
“Do Not Die in Bed of Old Age”
Do not die in bed of old age; die if you must, but die of something that makes your life truly worthy – the struggle to understand the mystery of human life itself. If you merely die of old age, you admit that you willingly accept the human condition that was thrust upon you without your prior consent. (If you were to die in the performance of your duties [with your boots on] well that’s another matter. Your mission defines your life.) The apologists amongst us would define a worthy life as one for which the world, because you lived in it, became a better place; others would have you Rest-In-Peace (RIP) for merely having fulfilled your pro-natalistic destiny or Prime Directive (moral imperative) – “to go forth and multiply.” But these “solutions” beg the question of God’s real purpose or intent. What teleology is it that provides
March 31, 2007 Secrets of the Oldest Old Slide 23.
“Do Not Die in Bed of Old Age”
only gratuitous logic for the Will of God, consistent with the self-interest of the clergy? If you have led the good life and the world is arguably a better place at the end of yours, so what? If you raise progeny to reproductive independence, leading you to become a grandparent at least once, so what? Indeed, George never had any children over his long life. Are these your tickets to Heaven, immortality, and perpetual happiness? In our view, neither of these is sufficient to reserve a place in Paradise.
As the perpetually-inebriated poet Dylan Thomas instructed us ...
“Do not go gentle into that good night; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” But how shall one translate this instruction into action in today’s world?
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Slide 24.
Supercentenarian Research Foundation
(SRF)
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Slide 25.
What is the SRF?
• A non-profit research foundation that seeks to exploit the knowledge that will be acquired from discovering:
– Why Supercentenarians live as long as they do? (How do they escape from chronic diseases, like Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, Diabetes, and Alzheimer’s Disease, which are the top diagnoses written today on Death Certificates in the US and limit the average life expectancy of older Americans?) – Why they don’t live longer than they do? (TTR Amyloidosis could be the Grim Reaper waiting in the wings for everyone, unless we figure out what to do about it first)
March 31, 2007 Secrets of the Oldest Old Slide 26.
SRF PROGRESS
• • • • What has the SRF already accomplished? What does the SRF propose to do next? What are the barriers to entry? What is the long-term significance of our success? • What are our next steps?
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Slide 27.
SRF Accomplishments
• Through the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) at UCLA, the SRF has accumulated 8 years of historical data regarding all validated Supercentenarians • The GRG database is one of the most respected sources of reliable information regarding Supercentenarians and is routinely used as the premier source for yearly articles in The Guinness Book of Records of London. Reuters, AP, and UPI wire services now considers the GRG to be the world authority on the demographics of longevity • Our SRF Website is posted at
http://www.supercentenarian-research-foundation.org
• • • •
Foundation was incorporated in Harrisburg, PA; Sacramento, CA 501(c)(3) IRS Form 1023 Tax Exempt Status [underway] Raised $150,000 in charitable donations for our start-up expenses Established a Scientific Advisory Board consisting of 38 members including many of the world-recognized experts in aging research
Secrets of the Oldest Old Slide 28.
March 31, 2007
Future Plans
Q: What does the SRF plan to do next?
A: First Project [for 2007]: Tissue Sampling of all known Supercentenarians world wide whose next-of-kin are willing to sign our Informed Consent (in their native language giving us ownership of all specimens) and their first-degree relatives agree to serve as controls…
– DNA SNP analysis in the lab – This will establish an invaluable database and tissue bank for researchers world wide of materials that would otherwise be lost forever – Later, the information generated by this database may result in insights and products that could improve the quality of life and longevity of everyone
March 31, 2007 Secrets of the Oldest Old Slide 29.
Barriers to Entry?
• Q: What groups are doing this (or are likely to be doing the same thing in the near future)? • A: None that we know of are exclusively devoted to the task of sampling the tissues of Supercentenarians
March 31, 2007 Secrets of the Oldest Old Slide 30.
Long-Term Significance
Q: Why it matters to history?
A: Potentially, this could be the most important scientific breakthrough in the history of our human species (~200,000 years)
March 31, 2007 Secrets of the Oldest Old Slide 31.
Next Steps?
Together we can unlock the secrets to a higher quality life, longevity, and health Please consider joining and supporting the SRF and making healthy longevity a reality for everyone
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Slide 32.
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