The Six Deadly Things Really Do Us In.
From Alzheimer’s to wrinkles, the woeful litany of symptoms that come with aging is virtually endless. But de Grey has boiled it down to seven underlying processes. Almost all of these contribute to the major killers heart disease and stroke; cancer

1. Too few new cells Cells of the skin, digestive tract blood, and other systems lose ability to renew themselves. Result: loss of muscle mass, brain cells, and bone.

2. Too many old, harmful cells Cells can no longer divide as they should, refuse to die, and secrete toxic proteins, causing muscles to become fatty and skin to deteriorate.

3. Mutation in the cells nucleus The nucleus is the central control area that houses DNA in trillions of our cells. Mutations in the DNA underline cancer-and make it diabolically hard to treat.

4. Mutations in mitochondria These ancient structures in cells are the body’s energy generators and have their own DNA. Mutations cause loss of vigor and may underline diseases like Parkinson’s.

5. Junk within cells Cells lose the ability to break down their own waste and gradually fill up with it, causing lumps in artery walls, macular degeneration, neurodegeneration, and other ills.

6. Proteins sticking together Structural molecules needed foe ligaments, artery walls, lenses of eyes, etc., gum together. Result: hardening of arteries, high blood pressure.

FORTUNE June 2004