Cynthia Cole, DVM, PhD, DACVCP: No financial relationships to disclose
Presentation Description / Summary: Humankind has always sought secrets to a longer life, but recently the focus has changed from just extending lifespan, to improving the quality of life in old age, often referred to as health span. While lifestyle is an important component of extending health span, altering the pathways associated with aging using therapeutic interventions has recently garnered a great deal of interest. While rapamycin, an inhibitor of the mTOR pathway, is the most well known, many other drugs have been proposed to promote healthy aging. Most of these agents are commonly used to treat diseases, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, but when administered in the absence of disease, they have been proposed to slow or delay the physical and mental signs of aging. For numerous reasons, these claims are difficult to study in humans, and therefore the dog, because of its shorter lifespan and some physiological similarities to humans, has been proposed to be a model of aging. Although the academic scientific literature supporting the dog model is small, it is growing. In addition, animal health and supplement companies are conducting their own studies to support their product claims of prolonged lifespan and/or improved aging. This presentation will review and rank the scientific support for the drugs and drug classes proposed to have positive effects on longevity and health span. In addition, the possible risks of these interventions will be discussed, as well as how the clinician can help pet owners evaluate the possible risks and benefits of these agents.
Learner Outcomes: Objective 1- Attendees will leave with an understanding of what is meant by health span versus lifespan and the concept of healthy aging and how it differs from the traditional approach of geriatric medicine. Objective 2- Attendees will understand the pathways currently considered important in healthy aging and the therapeutic options for targeting them. Objective 3- Attendees will appreciate what data supports which claims and products, and how to evaluate these types of studies in the future so they can educate their clients on the benefits and risks they present to their pets.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participant will understand the current state of art and science for geroprotective agents that seek to improve longevity and healthspan. What drugs have already been studied in what species and what pathways are the subject of ongoing research and why have those agents and pathways been chosen.
Upon completion the participant will understand what is meant by healthspan versus lifespan. They will appreciate the goals of healthspan extending therapeutics, as well as other interventional approaches aimed extending the healthspans of both humans and other animals. The will be able to utilize approaches already validated to improve healthspan and know how to evaluate future interventions for their efficacy and safety.
Upon completition the participant will appreciate the the commonalities of longetivity research in humans and animals, and why some animals may be excelllent models of healthspan outcomes, while others may not be. They will understand why certain animals have been proposed to be excellent models of human aging, even there are some important limitations to their physiological value.
