"Limit to Survival - Effect of Radiation

[hflong@postoffice.pacbell.net]

Pertinent to radiation safety (topic) is, A, how  prove increased longevity,

then, B, how implement supplemental radiation in apparently deficient areas

like the Gulf sates - as proposed by Cameron in Is Radiation an Essential

Trace Energy? http://www.aps.org/units/fps/oct01/a5oct01.html.



My experience as a personal physician and amateur social anthropologist would

seem to contradict Peter Parson's premise that, "In modern human populations,

selection for stress resistance is less intense than in earlier times."

(below)



Natural selection is by mortality rates. Persistent "stress", via adrenalin

(fight or flight from anger or fear) 1, shortens clotting time (as in coronary

thrombosis - myocardial infarct or cerebral thrombosis - stroke), 2,

stimulates arrythmias (400,000 USA deaths yearly, about same as total cancer

deaths) and 3, may constrict normal coronaries (voodoo effect). "In earlier

times" there were no lights at night, no watches for time consciousness, no

radio, TV, ads, driving, etc to give such persisting attentiveness, tension

and stress as we have now. My most frquenly prescribed medication is an

adrenalin blocker and decades ago it was tranquilizers.



These changed causes of death may benefit from radiation hormesis by impoved

ciculation. That lessened (0.76)  death rate of 28,872 nuclear shipyard

workers exposed to 0.5 cSv extra (about the better longevity of mountain state

residents) compared with 32,510 coworkers not exposed, suggests a deficiency

disease. A mechanism is suggested by the better healing of gangrene and

bursitis with 75 cSv doses of  X-ray in the 1930s, before antibiotics and

cortisone. Radiation gives blood vessel dilation with better oxygenation and

nutrition of the tissues. Stress and adrenalin have the opposite effect -

constriction of skin circulation.



For longevity, we should prove with placebo controlled, double blind studies,

whether fewer cancers and heart atacks, lower c-reactive protein and better

longevity does come with supplemental radiation.



Howard Long



Muckerheide wrote:



> Friends,

>

> Our friend Peter Parsons has published the following paper.

>

> Regards, Jim Muckerheide

> Radiation, Science, and Health

> ===============================

>

> Biogerontology 2002;3(4):233-41

>

> Life span: does the limit to survival depend upon metabolic efficiency

> under stress?

>

> Parsons PA.

> La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic. 3083, Australia; Author for

> correspondence: P.O. Box 906, Unley, SA 5061, Australia (e-mail:

> pparsons@senet.com.au; fax: +61-8-8373-5557)

>

> Survival to old age in natural populations is enhanced by high vitality

> and resilience which depends upon substantial homeostasis and energetic

> and metabolic efficiency underlain by genes for stress resistance. Under

> this assumption increased longevity follows from primary selection for

> stress resistance where stress targets energy carriers. Furthermore old

> and young fitness should be correlated irrespective of age under the

> stressful selection regime of natural populations. In contrast,

> antagonistic pleiotropy is most likely under the less rigorous selection

> regime of well-nourished humans and laboratory populations surviving to

> old age. Similarly, hormesis for longevity, for example from a mild

> temperature stress or restricted food intake is most likely under benign

> environmental conditions. Assuming that aging in natural populations

> depends upon ecological circumstances, large evolutionary increases in

> life span are unlikely under the stress theory of aging since organisms

> are frequently close to their limits of survival where metabolic

> efficiency is at a premium. Exceptions can occur in island populations

> and for mutants under laboratory conditions since the risks from

> environmental hazards are reduced, and life span becomes extended as a

> consequence. In modern human populations, selection for stress

> resistance is less intense than in earlier times which should be

> permissive of the accumulation of stress-sensitive mutants under the

> mutation-accumulation theory of aging. However, this process is

> ultimately likely to restrict the evolution of life-span extensions in

> the future especially if abiotic conditions deteriorate, when survival

> would depend more directly on metabolic efficiency under stress.

>

> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&;

> list_uids=12232505&dopt=Abstract

>

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