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Gerontological studies confirm that the highest records on longevity are from "The Hunzukuts" in Hunza, living in high valleys between China and Afghanistan, and from "The Abkhasians" in the Caucasus Mountains.
Serious efforts to analyze genetic, nutritional and environmental factors, have failed in providing a scientific explanation for the longevity factor found in those areas.
There have been two joint symposiums on "Caucasus Longevity". The first was in 1980 in Tbilisi, and the second in 1982 in New York.
Professor Zhores Medvedev, a distinguished Russian gerontologist working since 1973 in the United Kingdom at the National Institute for Medical Research, has published in English, valuable information about census and longevity in the Caucasus from various official sources originally in Russian.
Drs. Kakiashvili and Sadofiev of the Georgian Academy of Sciences studied one hundred Abkhasians between ages of eighty and one hundred and five. They found that changes in the lung associated with ageing, take place much later among Abkhasians than among people of other areas and climates in the USSR (former).
Dr. G.N. Sichinava of the Institute of Gerontology in Sukhumi, began in 1956 a nine year study of seventy-eight men and forty-five women over one hundred in Abkhasia. He reports their extraordinary psychological and neurological stability. All were classified as "functionally healthy". The medical team verified events described by the subjects through documents and discussions with relatives. Over 90% of the centenarians felt the need to do physical labor. Throughout the nine years study, the majority of the participants seemed to remain unchanged in their personalities and reactions.
E.J. Jachava, of the village of Gumista, was seen by the doctors over a long period of time. In 1938 at the age of one hundred, he was functionally healthy, very agile and fit to work. Sixteen years later he was in the same condition.
In 1972 a team of physicians examined 3000 people aged eighty or more. Satisfactory vision was noted in 79.2 percent, and hearing in 88.8 percent. The study of the protein-lipid metabolism showed insignificant arteriosclerotic changes.
In an epidemiological study of blood pressure, Dr. Schinava reported that he observed over 127 persons aged one hundred years and over for a period of sixteen years. He found that over the years the aged showed no significant increase in arterial blood pressure. It remained within 110-140/60-90 mm Hg. Hypertension was found in only five persons, marked cerebral arteriosclerosis in six, and arteriosclerosis of coronary vessels in five.
Dr. Walter McKain of the University of Connecticut reported the ability of the aged to recover from illness. The Abkhasian, Akhutsa Kunach, one hundred years old had been injured by a falling tree. Three ribs were broken. Two month later the doctors diagnosed him as fit to work, and he resumed all his former duties.
Dr. Samuel Rosen of the Sinai School of Medicine USA, after medical research in Abkhasia together with Russian and Georgian colleagues reports: "Abkhasia is one of the few places in the world with a high density of very old people, aged one hundred and over..... All the participants of our team were deeply impressed by the alertness, excellent muscle tone, and their mental and physical capabilities." The doctors did not find any cases of mental illness or cancer among the aged. Very old people do not succumb to heart attacks, but lose strength gradually, wither away in size, and finally die.
Various meetings, symposiums and research efforts by eminent scientists and gerontologists have been trying to determine a physiological, environmental, or ethnic justification for the high number of vigorous and healthy centenaries found in the Caucasus, and in other less populated mountain areas in different places in the world. According to various scientific reports, until this time, no convincing justification has been found to account for the longevity found in the areas referred above.
Recent advances in the complex biochemistry of oxygen radicals, and discoveries about the primitive composition of the atmosphere lead me to a better understanding about the original cause for the unexplained longevity phenomena.
There is a crucial significance in the elucidation of the biochemical determinants that allow large number of ageing populations to be free of arteriosclerosis, hypertension and cancer, the three main killers in present modern society
A biochemical rootstock, to illustrate these human longevity records, will be presented in this dissertation and analyzed at a molecular level, through the principles of free radical biochemistry and atmospheric chemistry. The importance of atmospheric oxygen pressure in the modulation of human life span will be emphasized and examined minutely.
A personal idea for an analogy that might clarify how increasing oxygen in the environment shortens life span is given by the following example:
- If while observing a wood-fire at home, we add ventilation (oxygen, 02) to the fireplace, the flame will become brighter. We have increased the oxygen. Combustion will now produce more heat, more energy, but the firewood will consume itself more quickly.
- In living systems oxygen acts in quite a similar way. Reaction with oxygen is also the main source of heat and energy for living cells. High oxygen pressure will increase cell combustion and energy production (brighter flame), but the life of the cell and as a consequence the life of the individual, will end quicker.
The word oxidation was first used to describe the reaction of a substance with oxygen. Diatomic oxygen (O2) has two unpaired electrons. Because electrons within atoms tend to exist in pairs, oxygen tends to trap electrons from other atoms to match its unpaired electrons. While oxygen takes electrons from the other atom, it becomes more electronegative (with more electrons or negative charges) and the other atom becomes electropositive, (with less electrons or negatives charges missing). As a result of these electronic charge imbalances, both atoms attract to each other, and linked, forming a compound. The other atom becomes oxidized by oxygen. The oxidized compound, i.e. an atom of iron loses electrons that are taken by oxygen (iron becomes oxidized). The term oxidation presently represents a wider concept that includes all chemical reactions affected by loss of electrons. Oxidation might be carried out by any other chemical like oxygen with the ability to trap electrons.
A free radical is defined as any molecule that contains one or more unpaired electrons. A free radical acts as an oxidizing agent, because the unpaired electron of the free radical has the tendency to attract electrons and form a pair of electrons. Molecular Oxygen (O2), for example has two electrons with unpaired spins. Consequently it is a free radical, and also an oxidizing agent, because it has the tendency to gain electrons.
Molecular oxygen (O2) which forms 20.9% of the earth atmosphere at sea level, is a stable free radical. Another form of oxygen, the superoxide (O2-) is a highly reactive type of free radical.
Biological oxidation damage due to free radicals, is counteracted by substances called antioxidants. The free radical theory of ageing takes into account the fact that damage to cells and tissues due to excess of free radical reactions within cells, causes accelerated ageing and ageing related diseases. The theory suggests as an anti-ageing protective method, the ingestion of antioxidants, namely molecules that will trap free radicals and lower their harmful effects.
The hypothesis on ageing presented in this dissertation aims to demonstrate that the damage in living processes caused by excess of the free radical atmospheric oxygen (O2,), is so significant, that dietary or chemical antioxidants by themselves are insufficient to counteract the damage. Extension of life span could only be attained with a more fundamental modification of the causes of biological oxidation damage. The primary modification must be aimed to cause a decrease in environmental oxygen pressure. This main and principal change will produce the physiological conditions which allow actual increases in the life span. Because atmospheric oxygen is mainly the product of plant photosynthesis, the total volume of earth's atmospheric oxygen increases as the total plant kingdom mass expands. My hypothesis states that there have been geological sharp increases in plant kingdom mass a condition of imbalance between the amounts of atmospheric oxygen produced by photosynthesis, and the levels of oxygen consumed to sustain animal life. This lack of equilibrium is caused by excessive oxygen production which has been increasing since the Cambrian Period. As a consequence animal and human life has become affected by injurious levels of excess atmospheric oxygen. The present dissertation will demonstrate that by lowering environmental oxygen, maximum human life span increases.
I would like to emphasize the erroneous popular assumption supported by some groups, who promote the protection of forest to safeguard humankind against atmospheric oxygen depletion An article in Science in 1970, presented well-known and documented scientific facts that establishes the invalidity of the popular assumption that man's oxygen reserves are in danger. It has been mathematically computed that if all photosynthetic activity will cease and no more oxygen will be generated, after a million years there will still be enough oxygen to sustain life on earth. Presently, the net annual oxygen production through photosynthesis corresponds to about 1 part in 15 million of the oxygen present in the atmosphere.3 It is clear then, that the main reason for protecting forests must be to counter the amount the carbon dioxide generated by fuels and human activities, rather than to safeguard environmental levels of oxygen. Forest is mainly required to eliminate the excess of atmospheric carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, in which oxygen is generated (Color Plate 1, Page 17).
The damaging effects excess atmospheric oxygen has for human and animal life, could be tested in life span experiments on several species of living organisms (Colour Plate 2, Page 19).
Several experimental gerontology trials with animals, proved that substances which protect against the damaging effect of oxygen (anti-oxidants) produce some increase in animal’s maximum life span. Insects, e.g. Drosophila melanogaster, which possesses a life span of less than a year, are valid models to test theories of ageing.
The experimental procedure to test the hypothesis that life span is seriously altered by environmental changes in oxygen concentration, could be tested in one year life span insects, or three year life span mice. These studies will not be more expensive or more time consuming than experiments in gerontology presently used to test the protecting effect of various antioxidant nutrients. The results after testing increase in life span through reductions in oxygen pressure, will probably be much more significant.
A number of sealed glass cabins of reasonable space, allowing in its interior populations of a specific species of animals or insect. Each device arranged to render different internal oxygen concentrations, in a period between one to three years, will allow us to observe how environmental changes in oxygen concentration affects animal life span.
The effect low atmospheric oxygen concentration has on human life span, could be demonstrated by statistical analysis relating mortality rates and age distribution of populations living in mountain areas where atmospheric oxygen is low with similar populations, living in lower altitudes where the atmospheric oxygen is high (Table 2,
The data already exists in censuses of population and geographical information. What is required mainly is to analyze the data to produce statistical analysis with the variables of our interest, that is, altitude, centenarians , and average life span of that population.
Until now, no direct association between atmospheric oxygen concentration, altitude, and human life span has been established.
I have studied elderly populations in the Caucasus, where the highest world percentage of centenarians has been reported. I have found that centenarians are mainly found in mountain areas, while in the same region at sea level, the longevity phenomena disappeared. (Colour plate 3, Page 22)
Because all other factors like nutrition, nationality, ethnicity, genetics, temperature and culture, were the same or very similar in both groups, I have rejected the effect on life span of any of those variables.
I concluded that the main variable between the long living and short living population is related to the altitude at which the populations are living. At higher altitudes where oxygen pressure is low, the percentage of centenarians is considerably higher than in neighboring regions at sea level, where oxygen pressure is high. (Colour plate 3, Page 22). The main environmental molecular factor accounting for the difference between the long living and short living population, is the critical difference in atmospheric oxygen concentration
I have analyzed the census and geographical information in Vilcabamba, Ecuador, and The Caucasus, U.S.S.R (former).
The Caucasus is a highly populated mountain region situated between the Black and Caspian Seas. More than 40 national and ethnic groups live there, with a total population well over 20 million, officially classified as "longevous" long-living" people. The high proportion of centenarians among North Caucasian and Transcaucasian inhabitants is from 30 to 150 per 100,000, which is 10-30 times higher than in the rest of the former Soviet Union or in Eastern or Western Europe.
In these areas people could live much longer and remain more vigorous in old age than in most industrial societies. This dissertation intends to demonstrate that the exceptional longevity of these populations is due to the low atmospheric oxygen found in those mountain areas.
Atmospheric oxygen concentration decreases with altitude. As one moves away from the sea level, atmospheric pressure decreases. Because the percentage of oxygen in air remains constant, the concentration of oxygen is decreased.
In other words, the number of molecules of oxygen, as well as nitrogen and carbon dioxide in a constant volume of air, are all proportionally less when atmospheric pressure decreases. Atmospheric pressure decreases at a rate of 25 mm Hg per 1000 feet increase in altitude. In areas at sea level, atmospheric pressure is 760 mm Hg. Oxygen pressure is 152 mm Hg. that is 20% of the total atmospheric pressure
In Mountain areas like the Caucasus, Azerbaijan and Karabach, atmospheric pressure could reach levels as low as of 648 mm Hg. Therefore, oxygen, which corresponds to 20% of the air, will have a pressure equivalent to 20% of 648 mg Hg, which is 128 mm Hg. The oxygen pressure at sea level is 152 mm Hg. In a mountain area like the Caucasus or the city of Vilcabamba Ecuador, the oxygen pressure could be as low as 128 mm Hg. (Table 2 Page 20)
Alterations in oxygen pressure in the environment are crucial factors that affect all cells in the body. A clear example is provided by the use of hyperbaric oxygen, this means oxygen at pressure higher than at sea level. This is an effective as a well-known treatment for healing wounds more quickly. Through this process, healing is directly activated due to the generation of rapidly reactive free radicals. We all know that hydrogen peroxide applied to a wound will cut bleeding almost instantaneously. This is due to the rapid generation of oxygen free radicals from hydrogen peroxide.
When a seriously injured patient is submitted to hyperbaric medicine, oxygen induced generation of free radicals is rapidly increased. Wounds heal quicker. Hyperbaric chambers are effective for short term emergency treatments because they generate rapidly free radicals, which induce the healing of critical wounds and injuries. Long term use of hyperbaric chambers produces serious physiological damage due to increase in free radical formation. Hyperbaric oxygen causes harmful alterations to normal development, accelerates cell growth and senescence.
The above example shows how slight alterations in oxygen pressure can produce critical physiological effects. High oxygen pressure induces free radical formation that temporarily helps in healing, but causes long term physiological damage and shortens life span.
To study the effects of low atmospheric oxygen pressure on human life span I have researched populations and geographic data from the city of Vilcabamba, in the mountains of Ecuador
Vilcabamba is situated at an altitude of 4.500 feet. The percentage of the population over 60 years old is 16.4 percent, as contrasted with a figure of 6.4 percent for rural Ecuador in general.
The percentage of individuals over 100 years old in the USA is 3 per 100000. In Vilcabamba it is 1100 per 100000 (by extrapolation of nine centenarians over a population of 819). This means that an individual born in Vilcabamba has 300 times more likelihood to reach 100 years of age than a person born in the USA or many western countries.
The atmospheric pressure in Vilcabamba is approx. 648 mm Hg, and the oxygen pressure 128 mm Hg. Vilcabamba have an atmospheric oxygen pressure 20% lower than a standard sea level urban area.
The living conditions in Vilcabamba are extremely primitive. The small city in the Andes Mountains has very poor sanitation and medical care, although possessing one of the highest longevity records on earth.
Deprived of facilities of modern civilization, Vilcabamba has much higher infant mortality than any first world city. With all these drawbacks, the exceptionally lower oxygen levels in Vilcabamba, allow people to live much longer and remain more vigorous in old age than in most industrial societies.
If the advanced medical and sanitation conditions of a modern city would combine with a low oxygen atmosphere like the one existing in Vilcabamba or the Caucasus, the likelihood of an individual reaching healthy and vigorous 100 years of age would increase from 3 per 100000, as presently in the USA, to 20000 in 100000. In other words, by combining these two factors, advanced sanitary conditions and low atmospheric oxygen levels, it would mean that from each 100 individuals, 20 could reach 100 years of age, vigorously and healthy.
The longevity records in Vilcabamba might not be as exact as in populated rural areas. Some age-exaggeration have been found. Although several authors have reported the extreme longevity and rarity of chronic old-age diseases found in Vilcabamba.
For having a positive statistical result in a study of centenarians, populations under examination, should be at least of 100.000. In a population of 100.000, an average of 3 centenarians should be found. In a population of 10.000, statistically, centenarians should be less than 1 (0.3). For these reasons in a population of less than a thousand as in Vilcabamba, to register 9 centenarians, is something that has attracted the attention of most gerontologists.
A detailed gerontological study of populations living in all earth's mountain areas might provide us with statistical confirmation of the hypothesis that low oxygen pressure increases life span.
When environmental oxygen increases the same might occur in cells and tissues. Animal affected by this phenomena are called oxygen conformers. Several clinical reports have shown that in certain circumstances humans could behave as oxygen conformers. This means that when there is increase in environmental oxygen there is consequently, an increase in tissue oxygen consumption. Oxygen conformers, adjust their oxygen consumption to environmental and circulatory availability. This means that when environmental oxygen is high, there is also high human oxygen consumption. It has been demonstrated at the cellular level that tissues surrounded by high oxygen, are affected by an augmentation in superoxide, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical, which are reactive free radicals. Free radicals are known to cause DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, and central nervous system toxicity, all three well established inducers of senescence. If the opposite occurs, i.e. environmental oxygen decreases, as it happens in mountain areas, the process is reversed. Life span is extended.
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