Life expectancy has increased by 30 years over the last century thanks to medical progress and improved quality of life, she recalled. "Now we need to move on to the management of aging."
"We shouldn't just aim to increase life expectancy. We should aim to live longer, in better health, and free of age-related diseases," she said.
What exactly is aging?
"There are about 300 theories of aging, but they can be divided into two main groups," Tkatcheva explained.
According to the first, aging is a programmed process. It is inevitable, "the question is how fast and how we can influence it."
The second school sees aging as an accumulation of mistakes: the body corrects them throughout life, but at some point they become too numerous. "The result is the development of age-related diseases, and the aging process begins."
"Twelve aging mechanisms have been discovered and proven, and two more are still being studied. They show us the targets, the points where we need to act to slow down aging," the geriatrician added.
Health is everyone's responsibility
Life expectancy is constantly increasing, but not longevity, which has been set at 122 years, the specialist noted.
In her opinion, "to make a breakthrough in this field and increase the maximum life expectancy, it is probably necessary to develop gene therapy and regenerative medicine technologies."
However, she put the benefits of progress into perspective, saying that while it will help people live long and active lives, "everyone needs to understand that no one is going to keep their health to themselves: stop smoking, exercise, eat well, or go to the doctor."
How can you age in good health?
There are a few things you can do to manage aging, most of which have nothing to do with taking drugs.
First and foremost is physical activity, because "nothing better has been invented to prolong life in good health." Science is unable to block myostatin, the protein that limits the growth of muscle tissue. However, it is possible to influence muscle tissue through physical activity. In physically active people, age-related muscle loss is slower.
Next comes the diet, "it is known that long-lived people can never eat too much, and there are special diets and foods that slow down the aging process," Tkatcheva said.
"Often, what we eat not only provides energy but also clogs up the body," she stressed.
Finally, cognitive activity. It's no coincidence that so many scientists live long lives. In fact, they are constantly analyzing new information, giving lectures, and writing articles.
"The aging of the brain is probably the most important issue of aging in general because the brain is the conductor of all organs and systems," says the gerontologist.
All this without forgetting the importance of positive emotions, which are often underestimated, she stressed.
Smoking and long life: A paradox?
Advice to lead a healthy life is often greeted with examples of smokers who have reached a ripe old age. Olga Tkatcheva replied:
"Yes, a person can smoke and live a long life. But if they stopped smoking, they'd live even longer and have a better quality of life."
Tobacco accelerates aging; it's a fact proven by science, she reiterated.