Humans to live to 100 years; studies on for biological age reduction: Dr Leroy Hood

Founder of ISB, Dr Leroy Hood is a renowned biologist. He said that research is being held to determine the biological age of a person that depends on genes and health conditions and also further studies are underway to reduce it. This apart, studies are being held for early detection of diseases namely cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer, he said.

Hyderabad:Dr. Leroy Hood, world-renowned biologist and founder of the Institute for System Biology (ISB),USA said that humans will live to 100 years within the next 10 years

Dr Hood participated as a special guest at the memorial lecture of renowned physician Dr D Bhaskara Reddy, father of Dr Nageswara Reddy, Chairman of the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG) in Gachibowli, Hyderabad. Addressing at the program in AIG on Monday, Dr Hood spoke on the topic of early prevention of diseases and focused on healthcare.

"Age calculated as per the date of birth (chronological age) is not important. It is the biological age that is important. The biological age depends on genes, digestive health, exercise, sleep, and other habits. Research is being conducted worldwide to determine the biological age of an individual with the help of blood tests. The biological age should be less than the chronological age and studies are being held to reduce it," Dr Hood said.

He said that vital research is underway to detect diseases 10 years earlier. "Ten million people in America are doing this study. The threat of chronic diseases namely old age-related, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer's can be sensed in advance. An early detection will in turn help in the prevention of chronic and fatal diseases. In a span of 10 years there will be major changes in medical treatment'', he added.

Dr Hood further said that the current Body Mass Index (BMI) calculations are incorrect. "Whether a person is underweight or suffering from obesity is determined on his/her age and weight. But this is not a correct calculation. Weight gain due to good fat and muscle mass should not be considered obesity. Only metabolic BMI should be taken into account. Brain health is vital for every person. We have already designed some types of exercises to improve health with various studies," he said.

According to Dr Hood, studies have found that activities like solving puzzles and reminiscing can improve brain health. Countries will have to spend billions of dollars in the coming days due to rise in diseases and it is difficult for poor countries to bear this cost, he said adding, "In this context, focus should be on the new treatment methods. An early detection of diseases, individualised medical treatments, preparedness and public participation are crucial,” he explained.

Dr. Nageswara Reddy, Chairman of AIG, said that in order to detect and prevent diseases, one lakh people from our country along with USA and China will be studied on behalf of the hospital. Dr Reddy said that he is working with Dr. Hood in this regard.

''We are developing a special laboratory where individual genetic analysis, blood markers and microbiome tests would be conducted. This will help us with a huge databank. We will spend Rs 10 crore in the next ten years on this. As a result, chronic diseases can be identified earlier'' Dr Reddy said.

Medical Department Secretary Rizvi, CCMB, Hyderabad University, IIT, LV Prasad Eye Hospital, and other prominent institutions participated at the program.