October 1 was World Day for Older Persons and Longevity. Madrid was the scene of the Political Declaration and International Plan of Action on Aging. For this reason, the First International Longevity Summit, TransVision Madrid 2024, was held at the Illustrious Official College of Physicians of Madrid (ICOMEM). It brought together longevity experts from around the world to discuss the factors that contribute to Longer life and better quality.
The meeting has been organized by MIT engineer, JoséLuis Cordeiro, together with the International Longevity Alliance (ILA, International Longevity Alliance). Cordeiro explained that “this is a unique opportunity to recognize that Madrid is considered a “Blue Zone”, that is, a place where very long-lived people live, and thus promote scientific advances in life extension from Madrid to the world”. According to the European Union, Spain is the country with the highest life expectancy within the union, and Madrid is also the national capital with the highest life expectancy in the region.
According to José Luis Cordeiro, to enhance this reality it is necessary to continue improving the quality of life, medical services, investments and research for the radical extension of life.
Nearly half a thousand attendees
The summit, which brought together nearly 500 attendees including health professionals, researchers and academics, explored the latest scientific advances on topics related to healthy aging. With the participation of speakers of recognized national and international prestige, the conference focused on preventive and therapeutic strategies to improve people’s quality of life.
The Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, has assured that older people are invaluable sources of knowledge and experience and have much to contribute to peace, sustainable development and the protection of our planet. And thanks to the understanding, slowing down and final elimination of aging, they will become more and more so. “The number of people aged 65 and over worldwide is expected to more than double, from 761 million in 2021 to 1.6 billion in 2050. The number of people aged 80 and over is growing even faster,” has pointed out.
One of the most notable moments was the presentation by Dr. Débora Nuevo, head of the Longevity Unit and the Microbiota Unit at Olympia Quirónsalud, who highlighted the crucial role of the intestinal microbiota as a key to longevity. “A healthy microbiota promotes healthy aging, increases life expectancy and improves its quality.”
In his speech, within the framework of the session Biological and medical advances on longevityDr. Débora Nuevo highlighted how the microbiota—the set of microorganisms that inhabit our digestive system—is directly linked to the prevention of chronic diseases and healthy aging. “The microbiota not only influences digestion, but also immunity and mental health. Its imbalance can trigger inflammatory processes that accelerate aging,” he explained.
The studies discussed during the summit emphasized that a healthy lifestyle, combined with a diet rich in prebiotics and probiotics, can contribute to the stability of the microbiota and, therefore, to longevity. Likewise, the impact of the Mediterranean diet and physical exercise in promoting a diverse and resistant microbiota was discussed.
In this sense, Dr. Débora Nuevo recognized that a good Madrid diet (chickpeas, vegetables, olive oil or strawberries), constant physical exercise and contact with nature (Madrid has more than 60 km of green areas) are good Lifestyle habits, prevention and health promotion are key factors in maximizing vitality and contributing to a longer and healthier life.
But also the microbiota is clearly an important factor in the aging process. For this reason, the Olympia specialist recognized the importance of maintaining a healthy balance of the intestinal microbiota to promote long-term health.
“Thus, our main objective at Olympia is to be able to know the current state of the microbiota of each of the patients to restore its balance. Maintaining a balanced microbiota can promote health and longevity by reducing the risk of age-related chronic diseases. This complex network of bacteria, viruses, archaea and fungi that inhabit the body is essential for the digestive system and the immune system, for metabolism and for mental health (depression, anxiety, eating disorders, etc.). ),” said the doctor.
Expert Panel
Among the Spanish speakers were also the researcher María Blasco, director of the National Cancer Research Center, Eduardo Díaz-Rubio, president of the Royal National Academy of Medicine of Spain, Pedro Guillén, founder of the CEMTRO Clinic, Ramón Tamames and geo-strategists such as Colonel Pedro Baños, together with the Councilor for Innovation of Madrid, Ángel Niño Quesada.
The international experts who participated included Dr. Aubrey de Grey, a researcher and benefactor who has donated millions of dollars to longevity research., Natalie Coles, who has analyzed the blood, saliva and urine of the oldest people in the world and Bryan Johnson, considered the most famous ‘biohacker’ at 46 years old and with a biological age of 37, among others.
All attendees agreed on the need to continue promoting research on the microbiota and other areas that can transform the current paradigm of aging.
During the summit the documentary was screened Longevity Hackers where several of the speakers participated and the session closed with the proclamation of the Madrid Declaration for Longevity: Madrid as a Blue Zone.
We will continue to inform…