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Sharks hold the secret to a healthy heart and staying young, study finds

Sharks hold the secret to a healthy heart and staying young, study finds

Greenland sharks

Greenland sharks live up to a whopping 400 years and even more without showing traditional signs of ageing. Their hearts also remain healthy and a typical Greenland shark is not afflicted by any serious cardiovascular disease. Whatever their secret is, it can also help humans stay young and healthy, scientists believe.

The world's longest-living vertebrates have defied age and scientists have been trying to understand the biological mechanisms that keep them healthy. The belief is that learning about the sharks' anti-ageing wayscan also help human beings stay healthier. The main reason seems to be their metabolic activity.

The Greenland sharks live in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic and Antarctic oceans where their extremely slow metabolisms are what helpthem survive. Other metabolic adaptations seen in these sharks are that their top swimming speed is less than 1.8 miles per hour, and they grow less than 0.4 inches a year. These adaptations might be the reason why these fishes live for several years without showing any signs of ageing.

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No signs of ageing seen inGreenland sharks

As we age, changes in enzymatic activity are bound to happen. But these changes have not been seen in Greenland sharks. Enzymes are integral to the chemical reactions that happen within our cells. Ewan Camplisson, a Ph.D. student at the University of Manchester, says that the enzymes from the muscles of Greenland sharks don’t show the kinds of activity that you’d anticipate through ageing.

Camplisson told Newsweek that traditional sign of ageing are missing from these sharks but are seen in most animals. So the researchers are now wondering whether metabolism is the reason for their long life span. By learning how they live so long while keeping their hearts healthy, Camplisson hopes to improve the quality of life of humans, especially older people, who suffer from heart issues more than others.

Talking about a healthy heart, Camplisson said,"If we can understand what adaptations allow the Greenland sharks to live so long while seemingly not being seriously afflicted by cardiovascular disease, we can hopefully incorporate some of these adaptations into humans to allow improved cardiac health."

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Anamica Singh

Anamica Singh is a Senior News Editor at WION, bringing over 17 years of deep media and journalism experience to the platform. Specialising in high-impact global journalism, she le...Read More