(02-09-09) Caloric Restriction Delays Disease Onset and Mortality in Rhesus Monkeys

Ricki J. Colman,1,* Rozalyn M. Anderson,1 Sterling C. Johnson,1,2,3 Erik K. Kastman,2,3 Kristopher J. Kosmatka,2,3 T. Mark Beasley,4 David B. Allison,4 Christina Cruzen,1 Heather A. Simmons,1 Joseph W. Kemnitz,1,2,5 Richard Weindruch1,2,3,*

Caloric restriction (CR), without malnutrition, delays aging and extends life span in diverse species; however, its effect on resistance to illness and mortality in primates has not been clearly established. We report findings of a 20-year longitudinal adult-onset CR study in rhesus monkeys aimed at filling this critical gap in aging research. In a population of rhesus macaques maintained at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, moderate CR lowered the incidence of aging-related deaths. At the time point reported, 50% of control fed animals survived as compared with 80% of the CR animals. Furthermore, CR delayed the onset of age-associated pathologies. Specifically, CR reduced the incidence of diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and brain atrophy. These data demonstrate that CR slows aging in a primate species.
1 Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53715, USA.
2 Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
3 Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
4 Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
5 Department of Physiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.

Source: Science 10 July 2009:
Vol. 325. no. 5937, pp. 201 - 204

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