11 replies to this topic

[Stefanovic]

I know a few people being in their late 20's, early 30's. Some of them worked very hard, combined two jobs to make ends meet and some others never worked really hard. It's significant how much older "the working class" looks. Also people having worked in night clubs or pubs look much older than people of their age not having worked so hard. Is there a connection between these things?

[1kgcoffee]

They're always on the run. They have very high stress levels, shitty sleep and shitty diets. That translates to high levels of inflammation and a weakened immune system with shrinking telomeres.

[niner]

Stefanovic, on 04 February 2012 - 12:58 AM, said:

I know a few people being in their late 20's, early 30's. Some of them worked very hard, combined two jobs to make ends meet and some others never worked really hard. It's significant how much older "the working class" looks. Also people having worked in night clubs or pubs look much older than people of their age not having worked so hard. Is there a connection between these things?

Yes, I suspect there is.  People who work in night clubs or pubs are probably getting exposed to a lot of second hand tobacco smoke, if not first hand.  They probably keep odd hours that are not ideal from a health standpoint.  Working multiple jobs to make ends meet is stressful; they probably have shortened telomeres.  They probably don't get enough exercise and a good diet probably isn't high on their agenda.

I make a distinction between this sort of "burning the candle at both ends" lifestyle and hard physical labor.  As long as the physical labor is done properly so that you aren't getting repetitive use (or other) injuries, and if enough time is left for eating right, sleeping, and socializing, the physical job is probably a lot better for you than a "cushy desk job".

[hivemind]

I think a low stress desk job is the best job.

[Stefanovic]

I've been lucky enough to have had enough sleep over the last 10 years. Don't go out that much and at 30 people mistake me for someone being in his early 20's. Was wondering if sleep is important too. I never wake up tired as I always go to bed early when I know that I have to get up early in the morning. I have a feeling that most people of my generation don't sleep and don't even care about it, although they're constantly complaining they're tired.

[niner]

I think sleep is very important.  Evolutionarilly, we are supposed to go to bed when it gets dark and get up with the sun.  I don't think very many of us do that.  At least I'm running a program called 'flux' that dims and redshifts my monitor at sunset.  Exposure to even low amounts of light in the blue end of the spectrum at night can mess with our chronobiology.

[buckwheats]

[

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Exposure to even low amounts of light in the blue end of the spectrum at night can mess with our chronobiology.

eha

yeah, this might explain the OP's observation that "people having worked in night clubs or pubs look much older than people of their age not having worked so hard", as melatonin seems to affect aging, and messing with our chronobiology messes with our expression of melatonin.

http://en.wikipedia....Melatonin#Aging

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Some studies have shown that melatonin plays a crucial part in the aging process and that it may act as an anti-aging agent when taken by older adults. It has been reported in one study that while elderly people have different gene expression levels in 100 of 10,000 genes, administration of melatonin may reverse this change in gene expression thus making the genes of elderly people similar to those of younger people.

and its the

yeah and its the expression of melatonin , you see that in how night workers have higher incidences of lots of cancers. This might explain the OP's observation that

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people having worked in night clubs or pubs look much older than people of their age not having worked so hard.

if it's true getting cancer earlier indicates more rapid aging overall.

[Mind]

Difficult/challenging mental work and/or physical labor (what they used to call "an honest day's work") for a few hours a day is good for a person and helps one sleep at night. It is long hours/odd hours under deadlines with emotional stress that will age a person fast.

Edited by Mind, 04 February 2012 - 10:11 PM.

[clairvoyant]

With staying awake and working, your metabolism is faster than that of the sleep. You can measure it by oxygen consumption or just by the quantity of the air, you breathe. Sleep gives some repair, too. The answer is obvious:  "Obey your master, your life runs faster".
It is not need to mention the stress and the other factors, already said above.
At least rich men can take more calories, tobacco and drugs. They swallow all this ad libitum or as much as they can.

[treonsverdery]

actually changing the lighting schedule is sufficient to change rat lifespan.  This can be changed with the peptide epitalon http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/18856211

The effects of Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly peptide (Epithalon) on the life span and development of spontaneous tumors were studied in female rats exposed to standard, natural for North-Western Russia, and constant illumination. The mean life span of animals exposed to constant or natural illumination decreased by 13.5 and 25.5%, the maximum by 9 and 7 months, respectively, and spontaneous tumors developed much more rapidly than in animals living under conditions of the standard light regimen. Epithalon (0.1 microg daily 5 times a week from the age of 4 months) did not change the life span of rats living under conditions of standard day/night regimen, while in rats exposed to the natural and constant light it promoted prolongation of the maximum life span by 95 and 24 days, respectively. Epithalon prolonged the mean life span of the last 10% of rats exposed to natural and constant illumination, treated with Epithalon, by 137 and 43 days, respectively. This peptide exhibited virtually no effect on the development of spontaneous tumors in rats exposed to standard and constant illumination, but significantly inhibited their development in rats exposed to natural light.

epitalon is a four amino acid peptide orginally related to pineal proteins  Melatonin produced  at the pineal is an organic molecule thart has been published as giving greater longevity

thus there apparently is a sleep cycle longevity effect that is immediately treatable or useful to create greater longevity

[Elus]

Mind, on 04 February 2012 - 10:10 PM, said:

It is long hours/odd hours under deadlines with emotional stress that will age a person fast.

This sounds a lot like college science major. In college I find I'm often stressed out and working under deadlines, and the pressure to succeed is immense.

Ugh.

[mrszeta]

Working hard does not make people age faster, in fact it can make them age slower. What matters is what you mean by 'hard' and who is interpreting the term. Some people find that hard work that matches their ability is ideal against ageing, whereas others are unable to cope with 'hard' work because they find that their abilities are not up to the task.

So, if you find that the task is a good, pleasant challenge to you, then it is beneficial for longevity. If you find that a particular task is so difficult that causes anxiety and unpleasantness, then avoid it because it will make you age faster. These statements are based on published research...