Sex Differences in Mouse Longevity and Responses to Geroprotective Drugs: Implications for Human Intervention

The process of aging, biologically speaking, involves changes in molecular, cellular, and physiological processes over the life course of an individual that lead to losses in functional capacities, reduced resilience, decreased health, and increased vulnerability to death. Less recognized, however, are other processes such as learning and memory, which, in the absence of neurodegenerative disease, enable the accrual of experience and resilience. These and other benefits of aging have led to the important concept of the “longevity dividend” (Olshansky et al., 2007). Identifying ways both to minimize the negative and maximize the positive aspects of aging should drive policy that will benefit not only the individual but the larger community and ultimately, society at large. Here we offer some perspectives on how biological research on sex differences in aging can contribute to developing policies that better serve efforts in make lives healthier and more meaningful as we grow older.