Researchers find key to longevity

Keeping a healthy weight by limitation of exposure of the brain, longer life can help people by insulin, say US researchers.

A study on mice found that reducing the insulin signals inside brain cells increases service life.

Writing in science, said the researcher insulin levels reduce a healthy lifestyle and weight in humans and may have the same effect.

Experts said if proved, insulin, just one of many factors such as genes, to affect the longevity.

Previous research in fruit flies and Rundwurmern suggested that reducing the activity of the hormone insulin that regulates blood sugar levels can increase service life.

The latest study considered the impact of a protein IRS2, that the insulin signals in the brain.

Half of the protein mice had lived 18% longer than normal mice.

Despite being overweight and have high levels of insulin, the mice were more active as you age, and their glucose metabolism which resembled the younger mice.

The engineered mice were declared more life because the diseases that kill you, too, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, were due to the reduced insulin signaling in the brain, researchers, moves even though circulating levels of insulin were high.

She said in the future, it possible to design drugs IRS2 activity to the same effect, reproduce to reduce, though, to the would have to be specific to the brain can be.

Weighty problem

Study leader Dr. Morris white, an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, said the easiest way to encourage longevity insulin levels through exercise and healthy eating to limit.

He said: "our results provide a mechanism behind what your mother said if you grew up - eating a good diet and exercise, and keep it healthy."

"Diet, exercise and lower weight keep sensitive to insulin your peripheral tissues."

"That reduces, level and duration of insulin secretion needed to keep your glucose under control if you eat."

"Therefore the brain is exposed to less insulin."

His team is now planning to look at possible links between IRS2 signalling and dementia, which research has shown obesity and high insulin levels is associated with.

Matt Hunt, science information manager at Diabetes UK, said: "This is an interesting study how the work could indicate mice to insulin in the aging plays a role."

"However, does not consider numerous and extremely complex gene interactions in the brain and this research nor explain how this mechanism could be works."

He said that human longevity had increased steadily despite rising levels of obesity and diabetes, which indicates that insulin would be only one of many factors involved in the brain.

"We welcome the fact that this study supports our most important message of the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle."

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