What makes human live longer? Mice give a key to the question

Scientists have managed to stave off the ageing process in &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/fun/2002/08/19/34810.html ' target=_blank>mice, enabling the animals to live longer while staying healthy.

A study published yesterday by the journal Science showed that protecting against highly-reactive chemicals called free radicals - long suspected as a cause of ageing - did have an effect on mice and it is thought the same may be true for humans.

Mice given higher levels of an enzyme which breaks down free radicals - and which was targeted at a specific part of their cells - had about a 20 per cent increase in their average and maximum lifespan - about four and a half months. They also had healthier hearts than other mice.

The experiments suggest that people could be able to live longer and be free from many age-related diseases if they were also protected against free radicals, tells the Scotsman.

According to Scientific American, aging is a process we humans tend to fight every step of the way. The results of a mouse study underscore the potential of &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/377/14902_Apples.html ' target=_blank>antioxidants as a tool in that battle: animals genetically modified to produce more antioxidant enzymes lived longer than control animals did. They also exhibited fewer age-related health problems overall.