And that's exactly what's been happening in Baltimore since 1958, with newer tests being added as they are developed. The results read like a monologue from the world's worst hypochondriac, says Reubin Andres, the NIA gerontologist who serves as the project's clinical director. Vision declines as the lenses thicken. The ears lose their ability to hear higher pitched tones, and later low pitches too. The senses of smell and taste grow dull.
Bones become riddled with cavities and prone to breaking, while joints wear out.
The heart grows weak and can't pump as efficiently as it once did. I leave Baltimore a little despondent. Some people may hold aging at bay for a while. But for every Sister Esther there are countless others already disabled by the time they hit 60. So I am heartened by my visit to Caleb Finch at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.