Harvard Medical School recently hosted a conference on aging.

The conference attracted longevity-focused companies such as Sitris Pharmaceuticals.  Sitris is a leader in the development of drugs that mimic the effects of resveratrol, a chemical found is red wines that longevity-related proteins called sirtuins.

According to Sitris co-founder Dr. Christoph Westphal:

“In five or six or seven years,” said Christoph Westphal, Sirtris’s other co-founder, “there will be drugs that prolong longevity.”

A group of drugs that focus on reversing the effects of aging and age-related disease are in the beginning stages of clinical trials.

Many of the drugs are intended to tap into the human body's own resources to resist disease and old age.

For example, sirtuin activators attempt to mimick the effects of caloric restriction which has been shown to have a correlation with longevity in experiments with mice.

Resveratrol is an example of a sirtuin-related drug that is in clinical trial.

Source: New York Times

Recently published research by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health provides good news for moderate drinkers.

The study indicates that both wine and beer may contribute to longevity. 

The drinking and eating habits of 1,373 men were followed over the course of 4 decades.  Results indicate that a half glass of red wine per day may add as much as 5 years to life expectancy.  Moderate beer drinkers benefit as well, but only half as much at 2.5 years.