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Adrenaline May Damage DNA

Thelasko writes "Ever wonder why heads of statetend to age twice as fast as the rest of us? New research shows that adrenaline may damage DNA, potentially accelerating aging."

173 comments

  1. In other news... by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 3, Insightful

    stress causes you to age...

    Go figure!

    1. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yeah, what they should really do is run an experiment to see once and for all if bathing in the blood of a hundred virgins keeps you young.

    2. Re:In other news... by ohnocitizen · · Score: 1

      Actually the closer we get to pinning down the precise mechanism, the closer we get to figuring out ways to block/alter it.

    3. Re:In other news... by Stormthirst · · Score: 1

      This is only any use if at the same time, they can cure all the other diseases that are truly debilitating - Alzheimer's being a prime example. I certainly don't want to be trapped in my body unable to die of other natural causes.

    4. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      time causes you to age...

    5. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Time only exists on a planet, space is timeless. Live forever?

    6. Re:In other news... by guybrush3pwood · · Score: 2

      Probably not, but "eating" them sure does... *wink wink*

      --
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    7. Re:In other news... by guybrush3pwood · · Score: 1

      Your time cube theory seems sound. Please tell me more! http://www.timecube.com/

      --
      Perhaps I'm trolling, perhaps I'm not.
    8. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Can you tell how old one carbon atom is? What differentiates it from another carbon atom? Does it react slower? Does it have a counter, then stops reacting?

    9. Re:In other news... by Dunbal · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yeah it sounds really obvious, until you realize they're figuring out the actual biochemical mechanism behind it. Stress also increases the chance of heart disease and cancer. P53 (or specifically its failure) is also involved in many cancers.

      It looks like useless research on the surface, for the lay person. But when you dig into it you realize that if you can map out the biochemical pathway, you can think about designing drugs to block certain parts of it - resulting in prolonged life or decreases tumor incidence, for example. Stuff like this actually is important.

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    10. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Te be precise, no one wonders WHY leaders age faster, the question this may answer is HOW.

    11. Re:In other news... by MichaelSmith · · Score: 1

      I think it makes sense that stress would promote mutations. Organisms which do not cope with their environment need to experiment with the genes of subsequent generations, to find a way to adapt.

    12. Re:In other news... by 0123456 · · Score: 1

      This is only any use if at the same time, they can cure all the other diseases that are truly debilitating - Alzheimer's being a prime example.

      Last I read the mechanism behind Alzheimers was becoming fairly well understood. I suspect that the vast majority of disease will be curable by the end of this century and probably before.

    13. Re:In other news... by duguk · · Score: 1

      stress causes you to age...

      Go figure!

      See, I always presumed they were just using cocaine. Certainly would explain a lot.

    14. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      To each his own, but I'd rather be bathed by a hundred red-blooded virgins, myself.

    15. Re:In other news... by colinrichardday · · Score: 1

      How is space timeless? Spacetime may be "timeless" in the sense of integrating space over time.

    16. Re:In other news... by ohnocitizen · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Why is this only useful if they can cure "diseases x,y,z"? Isn't aging the most debilitating disease of all? If it yields any insights into how we age, even those that don't lead directly to cures, there can still be much merit.

    17. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Rather than be all murder-y and wasteful, you could just hire 400 female virgins (better make it 600 to be safe) and put them on a rotating schedule. You'll have more than enough blood to go around. "The pay's not great, but I get three weeks off each month, and I save so much money not buying tampons!"

    18. Re:In other news... by repapetilto · · Score: 2

      Its also important to consider diminishing returns. Another thing to consider is that, in biology, many things are related in ways that are not immediately obvious. A third aspect is that researchers specializing in different fields will have different perspectives. So it is good to have a diverse field of study.

    19. Re:In other news... by repapetilto · · Score: 1

      Thats not a bad idea actually. I'm not a physicist so I can't weigh in on why noone thinks that happens, but its a good set of questions.

    20. Re:In other news... by repapetilto · · Score: 2

      They would need to be mutating the sperm/egg cells. A mutation in a skin cell (for example) is not going to get passed on. That does make me wonder if stress level is related to birth defects or anything like that though. Maybe mutations elsewhere are just an unwanted side effect. I can't see how that would be selected for.

    21. Re:In other news... by V.+P.+Winterbuttocks · · Score: 2

      Your ideas interest me and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

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    22. Re:In other news... by repapetilto · · Score: 2

      Actually, here is the paper . They say it does occur in the testes.

    23. Re:In other news... by Jeppe+Salvesen · · Score: 1

      Adrenaline is not about stress. Adrenaline is more about panic.

      But yes, your statement is correct: Stress is debilitating to the body. Being in a permanent state of stress means your body tries to put on weight, your state of mind is not easy-going like it when you're not stressed, your immune system is affected etc etc. (Also, there is good stress and bad stress. The stress you impose on yourself is not too harmful, which is why many highly driven people enjoy excellent health)

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    24. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      I hadn't heard of those ones, but I've heard that sex with a virgin cures AIDS. And apparently infant rape counts.

      Africa. It's a helluva place.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misconceptions_about_HIV_and_AIDS#Sexual_intercourse_with_a_virgin_will_cure_AIDS

    25. Re:In other news... by lxs · · Score: 1

      Don't apply timecube physics! You'll age four times faster!

    26. Re:In other news... by MrL0G1C · · Score: 2

      Unlike Europeans who lock their children in a basement and rape them repeatedly or other Europeans who run around shooting people.

      That's how racism works, you take an anecdote and apply it to the whole population.

      https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Josef_Fritzl

      http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1578285/norway-gunman-revisits-scene-of-rampage

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10219655

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    27. Re:In other news... by datapharmer · · Score: 2

      Well on earth you can tell with C-14 as beta decay eventually converts it into nitrogen-14.

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    28. Re:In other news... by siride · · Score: 1

      Except the myth about AIDS is prevalent, whereas the basement folks are not.

    29. Re:In other news... by genner · · Score: 2

      Unlike Europeans who lock their children in a basement and rape them repeatedly or other Europeans who run around shooting people.

      That's how racism works, you take an anecdote and apply it to the whole population.

      That's terrible.
      That's what people in Russia do.

    30. Re:In other news... by monkyyy · · Score: 0

      your interests, interest me and i would like to subscribe to ur newsletter

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    31. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      To each his own, but I'd rather be bathed by a hundred red-blooded virgins, myself.

      Oookay, this was modded "Informative"? I'd have modded it "Funny", but Informative? lol

    32. Re:In other news... by monkyyy · · Score: 0

      i thought it was a form of meth that didnt make u lose teeth, why else would they start wars

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    33. Re:In other news... by Alsee · · Score: 1

      Maybe mutations elsewhere are just an unwanted side effect. I can't see how that would be selected for.

      When bacteria are in a starvation or other stress situation they do selectively increase their mutation rate. That can be a useful strategy given their rapid reproduction rate and their inability to move to a better environment. However I doubt that applies in higher animals. In stress situations the body may shut down some repair processes to conserve energy, or the body may crank up some potentially damaging processes to increase fight-or-flight performance. Stress-related mutations in humans would almost certainly be an undesired side effect.

      -

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    34. Re:In other news... by SockPuppetOfTheWeek · · Score: 1

      No.

      Racism works by taking a "prevalent" idea amongst one populace, comparing it with an "isolated incident" in another populace, concluding they're identical, and then calling anyone who thinks a "prevalent" idea is worse than an "isolated incident" racist.

      (If you missed that (racists aren't always the sharpest bunch), I just called you a racist.)

    35. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      block the biochemical path of adrenaline metabolysis .. from dopa.. that would be inhibiting DDC using carbidopa or cheaper way by egcg (green tea). too bad that'll make you a boring person :@

    36. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "SOMA", here we come!

    37. Re:In other news... by black+soap · · Score: 1

      Don't apply timecube physics! You'll age four times faster!

      But you'll live 4 times as long in that time!

      Thanks for reminding me of that link. I didn't realize that site was still getting updates. The rant is longer! I'm pretty sure this headache is unrelated to the tequila.

    38. Re:In other news... by black+soap · · Score: 1

      I don't think we invaded Afghanistan for the copper.

    39. Re:In other news... by thePuck77 · · Score: 1

      This is /.; there are reasonably good odds someone was trolling along thinking that whole bathing in the blood of virgins thing sounded pretty sweet and this post, by virtue of informing him of a more attractive alternative, helped avert a bloodbath.

      --
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    40. Re:In other news... by thePuck77 · · Score: 1

      Well, to each their own, but I will take the piecemeal approach to medicine any day. Health is not an all or nothing affair.

      --
      "We live as though the world were as it should be, to show it what it can be." - Joss Whedon via Angel
    41. Re:In other news... by monkyyy · · Score: 0

      it was for the oil, after the meth addicts in congress needed money

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  2. Adrenaline by Dyinobal · · Score: 1

    What does adrenaline have to do with heads of state? I mean unless you're Gaddafi and on the run from rebels.

    1. Re:Adrenaline by Riceballsan · · Score: 1

      Stress of all kinds cause adrenaline. You banging your head while you are stuck in traffic, or opening a bill you cannot afford to pay, still releases adrenaline. It isn't the same quanity of adrenaline you get if say a bear was chasing you, but it is adrenaline none the less, and living in that state for a long time, will have similar effects on the body. I can't vouch for what goes on behind whitehouse doors because IANAP, but I would imagine despite how much we assume these guys are playing golf and flipping coins to make decisions, they actually do have difficult situations bombarding them nonstop.

    2. Re:Adrenaline by Dyinobal · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I thought the president just got messages from the big corporations as to what decision to make.

    3. Re:Adrenaline by optimism · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yeah, but it's gotta be stress-inducing when he gets conflicting directives from different banks.

    4. Re:Adrenaline by Samantha+Wright · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I mean... what kind of normal, peaceful politician is under any significant form of stress?

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    5. Re:Adrenaline by Dunbal · · Score: 1

      Presumably being told the results of the latest polls saying how badly you suck tends to take its toll, no matter how many rounds of golf you play.

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    6. Re:Adrenaline by flyingsquid · · Score: 1
      What does adrenaline have to do with heads of state?

      Okay, imagine someone going up to you and yelling the following, REALLY LOUD: "The economy is falling apart!!! Everyone thinks you're a Muslim born in Kenya!!! We're spending billions in Afghanistan propping up a failed state and getting U.S. servicemen killed!!! Nobody can find jobs!!! Wikileaks just released our diplomatic cables! Still no jobs! We found Osama Bin Laden but he's in Pakistan so either you tell them and he may get away or you don't and basically invade Pakistan! Jobs, jobs, jobs! Our strategic alliance with Egypt is threatened by a democratic uprising so choose one!!! The European economy is in crisis! There's a revolution in Yemen! Republicans are risking a default! Now Libya is revolting! Still no jobs! Time to run for re-election so you can get FOUR MORE YEARS of this!!!!"

      Imagine that every day, see if you don't feel a bit stressed out.

    7. Re:Adrenaline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The economy IS falling apart. And as much as he likes to blame it on Bush, he made it ten times worse.

    8. Re:Adrenaline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Imagine that every day, see if you don't feel a bit stressed out.

      I took your challenge. I think imagining that actually relieved stress for me. ...Of course, I should state that my brief daydream led to purges that made Stalin look like a social worker. :)

    9. Re:Adrenaline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yea, but there's stress in lying to all the american public when you know the truth about how you're raping them in the ass.

    10. Re:Adrenaline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought it was the Alien overlord sucking the youth of each head of state, as payment for not destroying us.

    11. Re:Adrenaline by siride · · Score: 1

      What did he do, specifically, to make it worse? Aside from not really doing anything useful, I haven't seen any policies coming from Obama that ground the economy to a halt. The economy is fucked up and has been fucked up. It was only a matter of time.

    12. Re:Adrenaline by monkyyy · · Score: 0

      he just looks at a chart of who payed more

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    13. Re:Adrenaline by ChrisMaple · · Score: 1

      The past tense of pay is paid.

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  3. What about Military Members? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I know a lot of 1St Sergeants and LTC's who look fantastic for their ages. And they have had more then their fair share of adrenaline rushes...

    1. Re:What about Military Members? by Riceballsan · · Score: 2

      I have a feeling it is more about consistant stress rather then extreme bursts. I have a feeling the aging comes more from a stress scale on an 6 of 10 24/7 for 8 years moreso then a burst of addrenaline at a 9 of 10 twice a day for 2 years. I also have to wonder if it is unused adrenaline, when an adrenaline burst is caused by say a granade going off 10 feet, that burst is used to help you run/jump/dive etc... When you are stressed out in a meeting, all it can do is make your heart race, mess with your breathing etc... maybe that energy turning inwards is what causes the damage. So people who can spend more time exercising, shouting etc... when under stress, take less damage then ones who have to sit at a desk smile and pretend they have things under control.

    2. Re:What about Military Members? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I know a lot of 1St Sergeants and LTC's who look fantastic for their ages. And they have had more then their fair share of adrenaline rushes...

      Great genes.

      It's like how everyone knows someone who smokes like a chimney and drinks like a fish a lives well into their 90s, but what you don't know is how well they would have lived if they didn't drink or smoke. Same goes for those Sergeants. I wonder how good they would have looked if they had a low stress career with the same physical fitness.

      Then you have folks who just love the stress .....

      Too many variables to make any conclusions.

    3. Re:What about Military Members? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Especially situations where someone practices EVERY potential advantage, ignores all forms of fun, eats a regimented diet, and all that jazz....

      Then their below-average overly conservative driving style (driving 15 under in the fast lane without yielding) causes someone to murder them during rush hour in their early 30s.......

      What I know is that I have today, I *might* have tomorrow. Any form of intelligence recognizes you're a fool to forfeit a solid guaranteed thing, for a promise you might get a "better" thing. Some call it investment, I call it gambling.

      Live it up, or you're a fool. (Note I said live it up, not utterly destroy yourself with drugs/lack of work/hippie drum circles. Balance the risk/reward.)

  4. Adrenochrome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's extracted from the pineal glands of dead junkies, and did it ever hurt anyone? Well did it?

  5. Any stress can be damaging by whiteboy86 · · Score: 2

    I thought it was a common sense that any physical, mental or biological (food) stress can lead to DNA damage and wear out.

    1. Re:Any stress can be damaging by martas · · Score: 2

      I thought it was common sense that cancer kills. Why are we doing so much research on these things? And with taxpayer money, too!

    2. Re:Any stress can be damaging by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The question is how things work. By what mechanism does adrenaline lead to DNA damage.

      For example, the entire theory about free radicals is potentially backwards. The highest free radical stress we get is from heavy exercise, but take antioxidants (eg. vitamin C or E) during or after exercise, and you might as well remain on the couch as most of the benefit of exercise is gone. We are starting to understand that presence of radicals is not damaging in itself - it's a signaling mechanism used for repairs. Free radicals tend to indicate damage was already done and needs repairs (stem cells, white blood cells, etc.), not about to happen. Basically, people taking lots of antioxidants could be killing themselves instead of increasing their lifespan.

    3. Re:Any stress can be damaging by aliquis · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Common sense isn't science thought.

      "Of course the world is flat!"

    4. Re:Any stress can be damaging by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "common sense" has little value because it's, uh, common.

      Look for "rare sense" and you may find some precious nuggets (sometimes amid trash).

    5. Re:Any stress can be damaging by SockPuppetOfTheWeek · · Score: 1

      It is the vast majority of the time.

      "Water is wet. Fire will burn you. Moped Jesus spotted on the interstate" - wait, scratch that last one.

      "Apples fall to the ground" is common sense precisely because it's been tested innumerable times. That's science. If an apple didn't fall to the ground, you'd have to come up with either an explanation of why gravity didn't make it fall in that particular incident, or a completely new explanation of gravity. That's science.

      "The earth is flat" had also been tested innumerable times, but they were using the wrong test. Science does that sometimes.

    6. Re:Any stress can be damaging by aliquis · · Score: 1

      I had another example which I thought made more sense then but I had already posted. Since the flat earth was so common example but I happened to think about something else.

      Is all "fire" hot so it will burn you (I know you can get cold burns to but point being is all fire hot?)

      Lots of other things would be the TV program I saw this morning about some people in the jungle. They still thought black magic was the cause for their diseases even though they knew medicine from the close by town could help them. Some Christians probably think it's their fault or that they get punished for something if something bad happens. Same with people who believe in karma I suppose. I wonder what I was thinking of :(

      Do you think the common sense logic in his cases with food and what not is true by scientific standards?

      Was "radium is good for you" common sense or clever marketing? It's energetic so it must be good?

      And the thing I thought about earlier, though with multiple issues:
      How many haven't used common sense (rather "knowledge"/information transformation from others?) when they claim common cold is caused by being cold, not a viral infection. Though there exist studies which both support and doesn't support the cold claim, since people in general seem to attract it so much more during some times (or do they just think that?) maybe there's some truth in it.

    7. Re:Any stress can be damaging by aliquis · · Score: 1

      Christians and black magic would most likely be knowledge transfer from others to.

      But I suppose plenty of common sense situation may be. Or maybe just the wrong ones? The ones one haven't thought about oneself?

      But in that case common sense would tell me that a metal is solid. And we know it isn't on an atomic level.

      (Common sense would tell me I should only eat ice cream because it taste so good. But there it fails again! ;D)

      Vast majority? Maybe.

    8. Re:Any stress can be damaging by SockPuppetOfTheWeek · · Score: 1

      My point was, basically, that common sense and science operate by exactly the same methods (of hypothesizing and testing hypotheses), and therefore it's just as much science as science is. Common sense just tends to lag so-called "science" because when science actively seeks out and discovers a test that invalidates past ideas (which were held as "common sense"), it takes a while for common sense to catch up and broadly accept that the test was valid and a new hypothesis needed to be found to explain the discrepancy.

      But I take fairly severe exception to "common sense isn't science", because they both operate under the same basic principles. As long as common sense doesn't ignore scientific discoveries, the two are almost unanimously in unison.

    9. Re:Any stress can be damaging by aliquis · · Score: 1

      Ok. True.

      Guess I was after "common sense doesn't have to be right", but so doesn't current science either.

    10. Re:Any stress can be damaging by SomePgmr · · Score: 1

      I'd say the fundamental difference is one of rigour. If you could say common sense is the collection of things most people know from casual observation, then I guess hard science would be things that you thoroughly test in properly controlled conditions to isolate and analyze results of a test of a hypothesis. No?

  6. Pro athletes? by artor3 · · Score: 1

    If adrenaline causes rapid aging enough that presidents seem to age ten years for every four in office, then how does one explain professional athletes who compete (or at least practice) almost every day for 10-20 years and come out of it looking, if anything, young for their age?

    1. Re:Pro athletes? by vranash · · Score: 1

      It's obviously adrenaline combined with a sedentary existence.

    2. Re:Pro athletes? by king+neckbeard · · Score: 1

      So, sitting around and watching scary movies is really awful for you?

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    3. Re:Pro athletes? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's because sports actually relieves you of built-up adrenaline. (Or to be more exact: ...relieves you of constant stress, which itself causes constant secretion of adrenaline.)

      But of course I didn't expect you to know that, considering that a soft chair in the basement is probably where you can be found 16 of the 24 hours of each day. And the bed right next to it in the other 8. ;)

    4. Re:Pro athletes? by guybrush3pwood · · Score: 1

      And the bed right next to it in the other 8. ;)

      Do you know who else releases adrenaline in my bed? YOUR MOM ;)

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      Perhaps I'm trolling, perhaps I'm not.
    5. Re:Pro athletes? by mbkennel · · Score: 1

      a) extremely good trainers & dieticians making food for them.

      b) very hot young girlfriends.

      c) a much better win/loss record than political leaders

    6. Re:Pro athletes? by artor3 · · Score: 1

      c) a much better win/loss record than political leaders

      Have you seen the Astros?

    7. Re:Pro athletes? by strack · · Score: 1

      so first person shooters will literally be the death of me...

    8. Re:Pro athletes? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well then I'm very sorry for you. My mum has a ugly horse face, hanging tits, looks like a witch of a horror movie, and is so mentally insane that Scientology threw her out for being to crazy.
      I'm serious.

      She's also the most intelligent and evil manipulative bitch the world has ever known. If she wants, she can say a single sentence that can strike you so deep that you want to kill her and get all angry. But the sentence will look not only harmless but even friendly to all others. So they will now attack you for being so aggressive to that "nice lady'.
      She managed to get people accidentally thrown in jail, to make friends hate each other, and pairs to split up. If she wants, she will utterly destroy you... and not even notice herself. (Whether she really knows what she does is still open for debate. I think one part of her brain, deep inside her, screams to make it stop.)

      She's the worst trap you can ever imagine. Any physical torture is nothing in comparison.
      And I'm far from the only one with that opinion.

      So no idea how you got her out of the mental hospital, but good luck dumping her in the morning.
      She will not kill you. She will make you want to kill her and yourself because life has become a living horror. But you won't be able to anymore. And slowly, reality will fade away, and you will become insane yourself.

      P.S.: I'm not trying to troll. This is the true story of my life.

  7. Other side effects include: by grumling · · Score: 1

    Green skin, gigantic muscles, and torn clothing.

    --
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  8. Exercise, order, natural selection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    That's easy: they get more exercise than a lot of civilians; there's a funny kind of order to the military that gives someone punctuated stress and relaxation instead of constant stress; and those guys who move up the chain are often just naturally gifted at remaining calm and dealing with what would be considered stressful conditions.

    1. Re:Exercise, order, natural selection by Larryish · · Score: 1

      I was going to post the same thing.

      Somebody please mod the parent up.

      Keep an active body and an active mind and you'll be getting carded for tobacco into your 40's.

  9. Steve Jobs' DNA test confirms. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://images.4chon.net/new/src/1314388694458.jpg
    Above image is the test results of Steve Jobs.

    http://4chon.net/new/res/787864.html
    I got that from this forum.

    1. Re:Steve Jobs' DNA test confirms. by king+neckbeard · · Score: 2

      I think you may have the wrong picture, unless Steve Jobs has turned into Norse Mythology. Honestly, I don't want to acknolwedge the existence of iDin, which is 30% thinner and lighter than Odin

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    2. Re:Steve Jobs' DNA test confirms. by staalmannen · · Score: 1

      I think you may have the wrong picture, unless Steve Jobs has turned into Norse Mythology. Honestly, I don't want to acknolwedge the existence of iDin, which is 30% thinner and lighter than Odin

      The fun thing is that I read this wrong as Idun, who happened to be the norse godess who watched over the golden apples that made the gods immortal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%C3%B0unn)

  10. SO MAY COFFEE, SO MAY EATING SHIT, SO MAY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    So may I ask who gives a flying fuck ?? Am I supposed to excise may adrenals so your motherfucking stupid-ass story has some relevance? My fucking god, The Taco moves his fat ass to Tahiti and this place still is full of shit ass crap !! Not metaphorically !!

  11. Live fast... by dristoph · · Score: 1

    ...die young.

    1. Re:Live fast... by wrencherd · · Score: 1

      . . .but then you'll leave a good-looking corpse . . . unless "live fast" also means you'll be traveling at a high rate of speed when you die.

    2. Re:Live fast... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The grammar Nazi in me gets really wound up by "...high rate of speed..."

      Speed already is a 'rate'. Why not just say "... high speed..."
      Saves ink, trees, fingertip blisters and greatly reduces my stress-induced adrenaline rush.

      thanks

    3. Re:Live fast... by guybrush3pwood · · Score: 1

      Live fast enough, and you can travel back in time. Sounds cool.

      --
      Perhaps I'm trolling, perhaps I'm not.
    4. Re:Live fast... by wrencherd · · Score: 1

      Grammar is all well and good, but the phrase," . . . high rate . . .", doesn't convey the same "splat factor" that it does when the word "speed" is included.

      Without "splat" your corpse might actually be good-looking . . . unless, of course, you already looked like, uh . . . like a grammar Nazi going in.

  12. Ever read "Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas" ??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nothing worse than a man in the depths of an ether binge

  13. Re:iSorry. Wrong photo. Here it is again. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Dude, if that's real .... someone will be in a HUGE load of shit - hipaa violation

  14. So being President... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    is the ultimate adrenaline rush? I guess they're supposed to be high on power all the time?

    No, it's other stress-related issues that accompany adrenaline. Correlation/causation/zzzzz.....

  15. Endurance Athletes, etc by ItMustBeEsoteric · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If this were true in all cases, people like me would be in trouble. I run 50+ miles per week and the runner's adrenaline high is a part of my daily life. However, it has to be balanced with the benefit of aerobic exercise: http://www.natap.org/2011/HIV/081911_03.htm That said, I'd imagine most heads of states don't put in those kind of miles, and the CNN article (mostly about Obama) is far from scientific. "Looking older" has shit to do with overall health in many cases. However, the study seems to imply chronically elevated adrenaline levels--and athletes have anything but. Catch us before or after a workout, and many of us* are some of the most mellow people you could meet (because the stress relief offered by heavy exercise is a hell of a boon). Personally, I think that's the key that many people who "read" this article will miss: stress keeps adrenaline *chronically* elevated.

    1. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by tyrione · · Score: 1

      Agreed. The claims that adrenaline is the cause is going to be proven false. However, I wouldn't doubt that adrenaline under severe stress becomes the transport agent for the real culprit that causes one's DNA to weaken and cause accelerated aging, whereas, adrenaline under sports, sexual intercourse [both emit large quantities of endorphins] will be found to strengthen one's defenses against such attacks on one's DNA and thus slow the aging process. Yogis have long attributed Tantric Sex to very youthful appearances in those far beyond their youth.

    2. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by Larryish · · Score: 1

      Smoking cigarettes is a big part of early aging.

      Switch to spitless tobacco pouches

      Or maybe have a good cigar now and then.

    3. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by ItMustBeEsoteric · · Score: 1

      I quit smoking all together after having done it (though admittedly lightly--like 1-2 packs a week) for a few years. I did it in baby steps, even using one of those atomizer things for a while, but the final push was actually wanting to up my physical activity more than anything else. The boosted lung capacity is well worth the occasional craving I get now and again.

    4. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by ItMustBeEsoteric · · Score: 1

      Next step: find a woman who shares my interests and is willing to, erhm, work with me to live forever. :)

    5. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by phantomfive · · Score: 2

      I am wondering why you think running causes you to experience adrenaline. Everything I've seen suggests it's caused by something like dopamine or endorphines, not adrenaline. The most likely way you would experience an adrenaline rush while running is if a giant dog were chasing you. Which it probably isn't.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    6. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by ItMustBeEsoteric · · Score: 1

      1. Adrenaline rush of a start of a race. 2. Glancing at the GPS, realizing I'm close to some speed goal kicks up my "fight or flight" to push after it. 3. I have been chase by dogs more often than I would like! 4. Competing with/trying to pass a friend/other runner/person walking a dog that's barking at me. Etc. There's plenty of things running that get the adrenaline up, too. It is a distinctly different feeling that the floating, rewarding, I-could-go-on-forever endorphin high. Perhaps I should have termed it the rush. Heck, even challenging terrain that I worry about losing footing on trails does it to me.

    7. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      ok, sounds like you're probably describing adrenaline. Might want to consider figuring out a way to not get so excited about all that that stuff. Apparently it is damaging your DNA, and keeping you from living as long as if you had a more Zen-like attitude towards running.

      Although I'd guess running is still better than not running, and who'd want to live without running anyway? ;)

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    8. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you joking?

      Chewing tobacco gives you all kinds of oral cancers.

      That's why hardly anybody chews tobacco anymore.

    9. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by ItMustBeEsoteric · · Score: 1
      I'm an adrenaline junkie, fortunately or unfortunately! That's the reason I dig rock climbing and roller coasters, too.

      That said, I am trying to learn to be more Zen about running, especially as I'm transitioning to marathon-and-ultra distances. I even run with my mala for my long runs these days to keep myself mentally calm and collected. This came as a result of reading both Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind and Barefoot Running.

      I still love the rush of pushing through shorter runs in the ways I described above, though!

    10. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      It very well could be hurting you.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    11. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by msheekhah · · Score: 1

      The runner's high is endorphines, not adrenaline.

      --
      Mark Anthony Collins
    12. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tobacco does not "cause" cancer. You're free to draw your own conclusions from statistics and studies, but please don't hop on /. and give advice on something you obviously know nothing about.

    13. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by bunbuntheminilop · · Score: 1

      It may not be a adrenaline thing, but more about metabolic rate. Wouldn't an increased average metabolic rate lead to increased oxidative stresses in the cell? If you have to eat more to exercise, wont this have a negative effect on your lifespan?

    14. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by Cant+use+a+slash+wtf · · Score: 1

      Cowabunga dude!
      Live life on the edge man!

      Sorry I couldn't resist.

    15. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by Kane+Devaid · · Score: 1

      I experience adrenaline when snowboarding and about to attempt, succeed or fail a jump/rail/whatever. More so if it's something I'm less confident on. I also have a mild anxiety disorder. To me these are most definitely NOT the same sensation. I don't understand the biology, but I would say there's a difference when it's a situation you can control, have put yourself in etc.

    16. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by repapetilto · · Score: 1

      What is "Zen"?

    17. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by Larryish · · Score: 1

      That's why hardly anybody chews tobacco anymore.

      Maybe where you live.

    18. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the type and mode adrenaline is produced is the key, think fear vs struggle to get a goal like the jogger vs a person aobut to be harmed.....one might get a slow release the other a massive intense dose...and trust me in time you wear out ask lee majors how his knees are after all that running around look at him he looks really old

    19. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Although I'd guess running is still better than not running, and who'd want to live without running anyway? ;)

      Depends on where you live. If you have to suck a bunch of fumes while you run it's healthier to stay home. Bicycling is the same. I have never understood all these people who want to raise their respiration and then suck toxics. Sure, it sucks that the cars own all the prime transportation real estate. I have a MTB...

      You could complain that there's no way to do this living in a city, and that's true so long as cities are designed to support car companies. Cities would be fucking great without cars. All American cities suck hard and not in a good way. Most world cities are lame too.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    20. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Yogis have long attributed Tantric Sex to very youthful appearances in those far beyond their youth.

      And the world's oldest woman claims that the secret to long life is to smoke large quantities of cannabis, but both statements are unproven. Both strategies still sound worth a try, though.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    21. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by Mr.+Slippery · · Score: 2

      ...and the runner's adrenaline high...

      The runner's high is from endorphins, not adrenaline.

      --
      Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
      You cannot wash away blood with blood
    22. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by Flammon · · Score: 1

      Adrenaline is released during races and key workouts in competitive athletes.

      Adrenaline is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland in the body of many animals. When it is produced in the body it stimulates the heart-rate, contracts blood vessels, dilates air passages, and has a number of more minor effects. Adrenaline is naturally produced in high-stress or physically exhilarating situations.

      http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-adrenaline.htm

    23. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by Z8 · · Score: 1

      Oral tobacco causes cancer according to Wikipedia. They site the International Agency for Research on Cancer and in particular this monograph.

    24. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by gonzonista · · Score: 1

      just wait.

      --
      If absolute power corrupts absolutely, what does this say about renewable power?
    25. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      lol I lived in a city in El Salvador where my snot started coming out grey from all the particulate matter that was floating in the air from cars. It was really bad and I was glad to leave there because of that.

      Surely most American cities are not that bad. Are you sure there is really a level of toxicity in the air worth worrying about? Or are you just talking about along the freeway?

      Incidentally, country living isn't much better.......you wouldn't believe the amount of particulate matter (dust, fecal matter if you're by a horse pen) floating in the air, especially around harvest time.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    26. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      A Japanese word, it's a religion with a focus on meditation and relaxation.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    27. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by SockPuppetOfTheWeek · · Score: 1

      The runner's high is from endorphins, not adrenaline.

      You should try competing some time. Hell, even try competing with yourself. Break your own time record for the mile by 10 seconds and then tell me there isn't any adrenaline.

    28. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by genner · · Score: 1

      What is "Zen"?

      Nothing really.

    29. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Surely most American cities are not that bad. Are you sure there is really a level of toxicity in the air worth worrying about? Or are you just talking about along the freeway?

      Most American cities are not that bad, but a few are pretty gross, and anyway studies have been done (yes, I am too lazy to citation-hunt... sue me) that show that in heavy traffic areas even in this country it's healthier to drive than to jog or bike in traffic.

      Incidentally, country living isn't much better.......you wouldn't believe the amount of particulate matter (dust, fecal matter if you're by a horse pen) floating in the air, especially around harvest time.

      Yeah, I live in wine country, and am surrounded by horses, vineyards, and even cattle. So I'm pretty well familiar with the joy of having several times the dust of practically anywhere else. I get to clean my PC out very frequently, which really sucks for someone with an allergy to dust mites. #firstworldproblems :p

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    30. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The 3rd word in the title of some movie that I only watched for its sex scenes?

    31. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by black+soap · · Score: 1

      Somebody mod this up.

    32. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by black+soap · · Score: 1

      You might want to get your adrenaline gauge checked; it seems to be getting crosstalk from your endorphine circuits.

    33. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Running that much you should have your heart checked for scarring. I'm not joking here.

    34. Re:Endurance Athletes, etc by Mr.+Slippery · · Score: 1

      You should try competing some time. Hell, even try competing with yourself.

      I've been training in a karate style that does medium-hard sparring for 25+ years, and I've competed in several tournaments. Though I suck at it, I know about the adrenaline rush. But that's not the "runner's high", which is an endorphin phenomenon,. I've also experienced that through exhaustive training. (Also, one time, from a long session of getting tattooed.)

      --
      Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
      You cannot wash away blood with blood
  16. Re:iSorry. Wrong photo. Here it is again. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No shit sherlock?

  17. Excellent by ildon · · Score: 1

    My plan of hiding in my house and doing nothing exciting or stressful ever is working out perfectly.

  18. Ho hum. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yup, I aged 20+ years after 10 years in the hedge-fund business.
    But,... I retired at 46 so net-net I win.

  19. ...but Dr. McCoy says adrenaline reverses aging! by rocket+rancher · · Score: 2

    I'll trust Starfleet medical on this one.

  20. Re:iSorry. Wrong photo. Here it is again. by Kreigaffe · · Score: 1

    that image has been around since.. well since 04. i've seen it before.
    the rumors that steve has / had AIDS predate that image.
    it's very likely just a shoop. his horrid appearance over the majority of the past decade has likely only been due to cancer, not AIDS -- and we know for sure he had the former. I don't know what the outlook is for someone with AIDS *and* cancer, but I have a feeling living for 7 more years past the prognosis would be pretty damn miraculous.

    --
    ... still waiting for this free-as-in-beer free beer I keep hearing about. :|
  21. Next they'll be telling us... by Mr0bvious · · Score: 1

    That being alive increases the likelihood of death.
     

    --
    Never happened. True story.
    1. Re:Next they'll be telling us... by White+Flame · · Score: 1

      Life is a sexually-transmitted disease with a 100% mortality rate.

    2. Re:Next they'll be telling us... by black+soap · · Score: 1

      As proven in double-blind studies.

  22. Alternative by PPH · · Score: 1

    Adrenaline may do some damage to your DNA. But nothing like what the bear will do to it if it catches you.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  23. Stress causes mutations that may remove aging. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If someone is so stressed that their DNA mutated a gene sequence for them to live forever, then that means there could be one that mutates into god-like abilities.

    http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Health/story?id=7880954
    Meanwhile, this girl's parents may have caused her so-much stress that she will never grow-up: proving her parents are abusive.

  24. I knew being a nerd was good for something! by Compaqt · · Score: 1

    Not too much adrenaline in this here basement ....

    --
    I'm not a lawyer, but I play one on the Internet. Blog
  25. Re:iSorry. Wrong photo. Here it is again. by level_headed_midwest · · Score: 1

    If you are going to leak something, at least make sure you don't have the test result date be two years before the lab doing the testing operated under that name and offered their services to the general, non-porn-industry public.

    --
    Just "gittin-r-done," day after day.
  26. Legal implications by sjames · · Score: 1

    If it can be scientifically proven that stress causes premature aging, will workplace stress become the subject of OSHA regulations and workman's comp litigation?

    1. Re:Legal implications by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh dear god. Are shark lawyers ever going to disappear? I just got settled in with the:

      "Were you injured in your workplace? Was it your own damn fault? Did you just ignore safety regulations and now you want compensation? Call us Now!"

      Now we have to worry about getting sued for premature aging... Another reason as to why I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

    2. Re:Legal implications by ThatsMyNick · · Score: 1

      Another reason as to why I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

      Whats makes you think other planets are better?

    3. Re:Legal implications by bky1701 · · Score: 1

      Well, most are uninhabited.

  27. Prop 65 by EvilSS · · Score: 1

    So now my adrenal glands are going to be required to carry a warning label?

    --
    I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
    1. Re:Prop 65 by black+soap · · Score: 1

      Only in California. Will TV shows and movies have to have warnings too? Selling things in CA is almost not worth it, what with the extra cost.

  28. It's not adrinaline by Opportunist · · Score: 1

    I mean, didn't Star Wars teach you anything? It is a sign of the dark side–all your choices, they affect the flesh, rotting it, as the dark side rots you from within.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  29. Re:iSorry. Wrong photo. Here it is again. by epyT-R · · Score: 1

    Not saying it's real but someone like jobs could easily afford to pay his way in if he wanted their services.

  30. Wrong headline by drolli · · Score: 1

    AFAIU

    a) Adrenaline was not involved in this experiments

    b) no word that the compound use directly attacks the DNA, but only blocks pathways.

    That is interesting and makes sense. Evolutionary stress was a mechanism which was active only in emergency situations to provide all resources to muscles and movement. In this terms reducing accumulation of unwanted substances in cells (e.g. oxidants) would have never payed off, especially if your maximum age was limited due to other things.

    From linked summary:
    In the study, mice were infused with an adrenaline-like compound that works through a receptor called the beta adrenergic receptor that Lefkowitz has studied for many years. The scientists found that this model of chronic stress triggered certain biological pathways that ultimately resulted in accumulation of DNA damage.

  31. The light that burns twice as bright . . . by NicknamesAreStupid · · Score: 1

    . . . burns those little DNA strands twice as fast.

    Better to live large and die young that to live small and suffer long.

  32. Space has no relativity. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Even Albert Einstein in all his fallibility, himself admitted that by his theories implicated that Space is the Equal of being Timeless.

    Gravity is Relativity: this is the prim rule that Einstein suppositioned onto the world.

    Then if you get into the Ron Paul and Patriot "Bowel" Movement debates, their "relativity" is based on a Gold standard rather than skilled labor of future interests endorsed to a metric today known as the inflated Federal Reserve Notce and Certified Promisory Note if not Bill of Lading with Warehouse Receipt.

    If you are in Space, what is aging? Your clock if on Quartz crystal only turns relative to the resonant Quartz while a mechanical watch only turns to the tensile strength of the tempered steel coil but appertains to the rotation of the clockwork sun chased across the sky. None of the astronaughts tuned their clocks in relation to the rotation of the moon when they landed upon the moon.

    How does gravity effect the growth of plants if their stem isn't strengthened by the swaying of wind? How does relativity (gravity) effect the life cycle of fungus in space?

    1. Re:Space has no relativity. by colinrichardday · · Score: 1

      If you are in Space, what is aging?

      I am in space, and I am aging.

    2. Re:Space has no relativity. by black+soap · · Score: 1

      . None of the astronaughts tuned their clocks in relation to the rotation of the moon when they landed upon the moon.

      Wow, you got me there. I guess maybe the governments on the moon haven't set official time zones yet, or something?

  33. Re: ...but Dr. McCoy says adrenaline reverses agin by FrootLoops · · Score: 1

    Note quite. Spock magics up an apparently adrenaline-based serum that undoes the rapid aging that some radiation exposure caused in that particular episode. As far as adrenaline itself is concerned, McCoy only says it was used as a radiation treatment in the past, and might be part of a cure for their predicament.

  34. Re: ...but Dr. McCoy says adrenaline reverses agin by FrootLoops · · Score: 1

    The cure for rapid aging (or late youth) is the transporter (1, 2, 3), psychic magic (4, 5), or nothing (6).

    I think I've found all or almost all the episodes that deal with *rapid* age changes. The Bashir episode is questionable, as the aging only occurred in his mind. I can't think of any relevant Voyager or Enterprise episodes. Q's kid ages rapidly for Janeway, but that's sort of to be expected.... There are several episodes that take place partly in the future (the end of Enterprise; the DS9 episode with old Jake Sisko; the end of TNG; the end of Voyager; the icy planet crash landing episode of Voyager; Time's Arrow, kind of--Data's head at least ages 500 years in the course of the episode...), but those don't constitute rapid aging. Picard's hand ages rapidly in Timescape, but that's just one part of his body and doesn't require a "cure" like the other episodes I listed.

    If I've missed any (even questionable ones), let me know :).

  35. Extreeeeeeeme response. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Mountain Dew, Inc says this is only a theory. Scientists pushing their "let's do boring stuff" agenda. Moving to cut scientists funding.

  36. Coming on 25 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Gray hairs, acne problems despite washing, eczema going crazy, etc.

    I'll see you guys when I have become an X-men.
    Come onnnnn fire throwing.

  37. Re: ...but Dr. McCoy says adrenaline reverses agin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No, he said that adrenaline prevented a certain kind of aging. Which is obvious, considering it's doing aging of it's own. Because each of the aging processes are in perfect balance, they jam the doorway, unable to do any harm.

  38. What about acute short-term stress? by Sark666 · · Score: 1

    I had life circumstances that stressed me beyond belief. I'm talking 24/7 constant worry and dread to extremes I've never felt in my life for over 2 months straight. Shortly after I noticed I started balding and I've always had a full head of hair. Yes, it could be just a coincidence but I've read there is such a thing as stress related baldness and if it's short-term hair will usually return. Also, this stressful episode of my life is over but I feel entirely burnt-out as a result.

    I exercise and try and eat right, and I can still do my workouts and feel good while working out, but outside of that I feel I have energy for just about nothing. I've read about adrenal fatigue and it sounds like what I have but I've read this is not a recognized medical condition thus there is no treatment.

    They say stress ages the body, well if true I feel like I aged a year in a span of a month. It was absolutely horrible. Anyway, I feel like a shell of my former self and I'm concerned I'm not going to bounce back.

  39. we need to get old by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Stoping aging would be the worst thing that ever happened to the planet. We would over populate the planet and kill our selves within a few generations at this point.

  40. No, no, no . . . by hawk · · Score: 1

    You must be new here.

    In Russia,mthe anecdote applies *you*! :)

    hawk

  41. Cortisol? by supa.g33k · · Score: 1

    No need to invoke epinephrine ("adrenaline") here, nor "DNA damage". Another stress hormone, cortisol, is already well understood to be the major link between stress and adverse health effects.

  42. What are you aging against? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But where is your relativity? All sources point to not your metabolism, but the metabolism of bacteria and fungus in your body regulated by their life cycle dependent on the effects of gravity on their progress. Also, how do skin cells behave differently if any under a change of relative gravity?

  43. That's why Adderall is a bad idea by xyourfacekillerx · · Score: 1

    They've known for a long time that Adderall (specifically its dextro-amp component) is mutagenic, especially if taken before, during, and shortly after puberty; they've known the changes in nucleic acid sequences accounting for this have to do with noradrenaline and associated compounds (pre-metabolites, synthesis, etc). To make matters worse the damage is passed on to offspring. Adderall babies will be an interesting problem in upcoming years.

  44. Adrenalin and DNA by lsatenstein · · Score: 1

    Trivial irrelevant studies. Living causes death as an outcome.

    --
    Leslie Satenstein Montreal Quebec Canada
  45. Running at a faster pace causes ..... by hesaigo999ca · · Score: 1

    No.....running at a faster pace causes you to age, and therefore we know adrenalin makes you pump blood faster...hence why this would seem as the reason.
    Any drug that makes your metabolic rate run faster makes you age faster, as the degeneration is quicker then the regeneration, unless you take steroids or gh or other know drugs to counter degeneration, you will age faster, but take gh, with adrenalin.....you end up with no signs of aging.