Scientists can tell how fast you're aging. Now, the trick is to slow it down

Enlarge this image Maria Fabrizio/NPR Maria Fabrizio/NPR

I used to flinch at the topic of aging. Is there anything we can do about the inevitable?

But recently I've been digging into a new wave of longevity research that is making it an exciting time to be an aging human — which is all of us.

It turns out, we all age at varying rates. Super-agers may have great genes, but research shows our habits and routines — everything from what we eat and how we move our bodies to who we spend our time with — matter a lot, when it comes to aging well.

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Now, the next frontier is to target the basic biology of aging and come up with new interventions to slow it down.

Many scientists are optimistic that we're on the cusp of breakthroughs. Not only to help us live longer, but — more importantly — to extend the number of years we live with good health.

This is the goal of researchers at the Human Longevity Lab at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. They're recruiting study participants so they can test what kinds of interventions may slow the rate of aging. To that end, I decided to roll up my sleeve for science.

Welcome to aging: My visit to the longevity lab

When I arrived, the first step was a quick blood draw. The Potocsnak Longevity Institute is housed on the light-filled 21st floor of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, overlooking Lake Michigan.