The normal effects of aging—hearing loss, arthritic knees, fading eyesight, and memory lapses—have long been accepted as facts of life. But discoveries about gene expression, chronic inflammation, cellular damage, and other biological processes are shifting how researchers, physicians, and consumers think about aging. The bottom line: More people are spending more money on their health before their bodies begin to fail—and North Texans are here for it.
“Our mindset has changed,” says Chandramallika Basak, director of the Lifespan Neuroscience and Cognition Lab at the Center for Vital Longevity at UT Dallas. “It used to sound like science fiction, but we have stopped thinking of aging as inevitable. We don’t have to suffer through aging. We can influence aging, and we can take control over it.”
Basak is among the many North Texas scientists exploring new ways to preserve function, reverse damage, and extend health span. What’s more, businesses are beginning to form around their research, and investors are paying attention and writing checks. Medical doctors, too, are thinking differently. Some who once spent all their time trying to make the sick well have pivoted to focus on making the well weller. And patient demand is growing as consumers hear about cutting-edge tech and therapeutics—and the high-profile individuals who flaunt them…