In a recent issue of the scientific journal Aging, a paper from David Sinclair’s lab noted that among the risk factors associated with bad outcomes of a COVID-19 infection, far and away, the most important risk factor is a person’s age. The statistics are astounding.

• 80% of confirmed cases who are hospitalized are over 65
• Patients who are over 65 are 23 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than younger patients
• 74% of COVID-19 deaths are of people who are over 65, while those seniors are a much smaller percentage of the population.

Aside from age, other factors that increase a person’s risk of death from COVID-19 include:

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Cardio-vascular disease
• Respiratory disease

These comorbidities tend to become more prevalent as a person ages, but older people who have none of these are nonetheless still at high risk.

COVID-19 is a disease caused by a coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2. People are damaged by a SARS-CoV-2 infection in two ways. The first is the damage done to a patient’s internal organs by the exponential replication of the virus within the person’s cells. The second form of damage comes from the patient’s own immune system, which in rising to the challenge of a viral invasion, causes collateral damage to the organs that it is trying to protect. Many patents are killed, not by the virus, but by a so-called “cytokine storm,” which is an out of control response to an infection. On one hand, older patients are more vulnerable because their immune cells are less able to mount an appropriate attack on a viral invasion. On the other hand, these compromised immune cells, once activated, start attacking the patient’s body instead of the invader.

Humans have two immune systems, the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system. The innate immune system is a general-purpose defender, and attacks anything that it cannot identify as “self.” The logic is that if an object in the body does not have the correct IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) code, it should be destroyed.

The adaptive immune system is more selective. Each immune cell in the adaptive immune system keeps a record of invaders that it has encountered in the past. When a new object shows up that matches the signature of a past invader, the immune cell will attack. This only works for bad actors that it has met before. When confronted with a new threat, never before seen, such as SARS-CoV-2, the adaptive immune system stands down. Without adaptive immunity, a highly infective pathogen such as SARS-CoV-2 can rip through a population and cause tremendous death and debility before society is able to cope with it.

So, what to do?

The fact that COVID-19 is so much deadlier for older people than for younger, sparks an idea, and that is why this question is asked in a scientific journal that deals with the problems brought on by aging. There are known interventions that can slow or even turn back the clock on the decline in functionality that comes with advanced age. There are a group of drugs, called geroprotectors, that appear to slow or even halt the aging process for at least some tissues in the human body. These include:

• Metformin
• Resveratrol
• NAD+ boosters
• Vitamin D

Metformin is a drug that is often prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes. Resveratrol is a substance found in red grapes and other foods, that has shown some promise in anti-aging therapy. NAD+ is a substance manufactured by the human body, but the body’s ability to manufacture it declines with age. Vitamin D is a nutrient we all need, but that older people are less likely to obtain from sun exposure.

Might one or more of these geroprotectors provide some defense against SARS-CoV-2? Maybe. The fact that older people are more susceptible to be seriously damaged by COVID-19, coupled with the fact that older people tend to be deficient in geroprotectors, is suggestive and should be researched. Metformin is available by prescription and the other three geroprotectors can be obtained over the counter from your friendly neighborhood pharmaceutical supplier.

BIO:

Allen G. Taylor is a 40-year veteran of the computer industry and the author of over 40 books, including Develop Microsoft HoloLens Apps Now, Get Fit with Apple Watch, Cruise for Free, SQL For Dummies, 9th Edition, Crystal Reports 2008 For Dummies, Database Development For Dummies, Access Power Programming with VBA, and SQL All-In-One For Dummies, Third Edition. He lectures internationally on astronomy, databases, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He also teaches database development and Crystal Reports through a leading online education provider. For the latest news on Allen’s activities, check out his blog at wwwallengtaylor.com or contact him at allen.taylor@ieee.org.