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What is a theory of aging?
Theories of aging can be divided into two categories: those that answer the question “Why do we age?” and those that address the question “How do we age?” Only a few broad, overarching theories attempt to explain why we and nearly all living organisms age. These theories compete with each other, making it unlikely that more than one of them could be true. Over time, some theories have fallen out of favor as others have become more widely accepted.
Other theories, more properly called hypotheses, are smaller in scope and address the question, “How do we age?” They attempt to explain the mechanisms that affect how we and other species age, and it is likely that a number of them are simultaneously true. Testing these hypotheses is the current pursuit of most aging research. Identification of the mechanisms that affect aging could lead to interventions to slow or alter aging. Recent research implies that there may be a limited number of these mechanisms, giving scientists hope that their efforts may one day lead to strategies that could help us lead longer, healthier lives.
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