Academic Journal
No evidence for squaring the survival curve: lifespan-extending treatments increase variation in age- at-death.
| Τίτλος: | No evidence for squaring the survival curve: lifespan-extending treatments increase variation in age- at-death. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Fulton TL; Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW2006, Australia.; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia., Macartney EL; Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW2006, Australia.; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.; Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz55122, Germany.; Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales2052, Australia., Senior AM; Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW2006, Australia.; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.; Sydney Precision Data Science Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown2006, Australia. |
| Πηγή: | Biology letters [Biol Lett] 2026 Feb 25; Vol. 22 (2). |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: The Royal Society Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101247722 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1744-957X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 17449561 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Biol Lett Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: London : The Royal Society, 2005- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Longevity*/drug effects , Metformin*/pharmacology , Sirolimus*/pharmacology , Geroscience*/methods , Caloric Restriction* , Aging* , Life Expectancy*, Animals |
| Περίληψη: | Geroscience has the goal of extending lifespan through geroprotective interventions. These interventions are typically imparted on groups of individuals, with their efficacy judged by increases in the average age-at-death. A more equitable outcome, which looks beyond the average, is to attain a long life for all individuals, such that the average age-at-death is high while variability (e.g. standard deviation in age-at-death) is low. This goal of increasing the mean while reducing variation is sometimes referred to as 'squaring the survival curve'. A recent meta-analysis of vertebrate data found that dietary restriction (DR) and the DR-mimetic, rapamycin, generally increase the average age-at-death, while metformin (also considered a DR-mimetic) is less effective. We have re-analysed this recently published data to study the effects of lifespan-extending treatments on variation in the age-at-death. On average, all three treatments increase the variance in the age-at-death, but not the coefficient of variation (i.e. standard deviation relative to the mean). This suggests that lifespan-extending treatments do not reduce variance and 'square the survival curve'. Rather, any gains in mean age-at-death are matched by corresponding increases in variation. Interestingly, this result is consistent with the treatments proportionally reducing both the age-dependent and age-independent parameters in a Gompertz model of mortality. (© 2026 The Authors.) |
| Grant Information: | University of Sydney; Australian Research Council |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: ageing; calorie restriction; gerontology; life expectancy; lifespan extension; mTORC1; meta-regression; model organism; standard deviation; variance |
| Substance Nomenclature: | 9100L32L2N (Metformin) W36ZG6FT64 (Sirolimus) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260227 Date Completed: 20260709 Latest Revision: 20260709 |
| Update Code: | 20260711 |
| DOI: | 10.1098/rsbl.2025.0651 |
| PMID: | 41759197 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1744-957X |
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| DOI: | 10.1098/rsbl.2025.0651 |