Check out this answer from Consensus:
While oxidative stress is strongly correlated with aging and age-related diseases, the evidence for it being the primary cause of aging is not conclusive. The role of oxidative stress in aging is supported by numerous studies, particularly in model organisms, but direct causation in humans remains to be firmly established. Antioxidant therapies and caloric restriction show promise in mitigating oxidative damage, suggesting potential avenues for promoting healthy aging. Further research is needed to clarify the mechanisms and develop effective interventions.
Oxidative stress, characterized by an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the body’s ability to detoxify them, has been widely studied in the context of aging. The oxidative stress theory of aging posits that the accumulation of oxidative damage over time contributes significantly to the aging process and age-related diseases.
Key Insights
- Oxidative Stress and Aging Correlation:
- Oxidative stress is linked to aging through the accumulation of molecular damage, impacting proteins, lipids, RNA, and DNA, and contributing to age-related diseases1 4 5 6 7 9.
- Mitochondria are a major source of ROS, and mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with aging and age-related diseases2 5 7.
- Oxidative Stress as a Primary Cause:
- There is substantial evidence supporting the role of oxidative stress in aging, but a direct cause-and-effect relationship has not been definitively established3 6 7 10.
- Genetic studies in model organisms like Drosophila and C. elegans suggest that oxidative damage limits lifespan, but the evidence in mammals is less clear3 8 10.
- Antioxidant Interventions:
- Caloric Restriction:
Is oxidative stress the primary cause of aging?
Lindsay Wu has answered Unlikely
An expert from UNSW Sydney in Anti-Ageing, Metabolomics, Reproductive Biology
The “free radical theory of ageing” was proposed by Dennis Harman over half a century ago, and has remained popular in mainstream culture ever since. In this idea, damage to the molecules in our cells from oxidative stress, such as from reactive oxygen species (ROS), accumulate and lead to the damage that causes biological ageing.
This stubborn idea has faced a number of challenges. At the clinical level, meta-analysis of clinical trials testing the effect of anti-oxidant supplementation showed absolutely no benefit to health, and if anything a slightly increased risk of death. At the mechanistic level, there is good data to suggest that many of the benefits of exercise and dietary restriction in health are in fact mediated by reactive oxygen species. While a near-starvation diet typically increases lifespan, we know from lab animal studies that when antioxidants are provided on top of food restriction, the increase in lifespan disappears. Similarly, when volunteers taking an antioxidant combination pill or a placebo control were subject to regular exercise on a treadmill, the placebo group improved their metabolic health, while the antioxidant group received absolutely no benefit.
While there are situations where severe levels of oxidative stress are damaging, for example from certain poisons, it is now well accepted within the field of ageing research that reactive oxygen species are unlikely to play a role in normal biological ageing.
Is oxidative stress the primary cause of aging?
David Gems has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from University College London in Biology
The theory that oxidative damage caused primarily by oxidative stress accumulates with age and causes ageing is intuitively plausible and during the 1990s and early 2000s was a dominant paradigm in the biology of ageing. Moreover, oxidative damage does accumulate with age. However extensive testing of the theory particularly in animals models, such as mice, fruit flies and nematodes worms has failed to support the theory. It is near certain that oxidative damage plays a contributory role in ageing, and plays a major role in certain senescent pathologies and in ageing in certain organisms (such as the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina). However, it is also likely that much of the oxidative damage that accumulates with age is more a consequence of the many pathologies characteristic of old age than a cause of them. Oxidative stress and increase oxidative damage is common occurrence in many pathologies, due to loss of cellular homeostasis where tissues and organs are in crisis, e.g. resulting from injury, infection and inflammation.
Is oxidative stress the primary cause of aging?
Evandro Fei Fang has answered Unlikely
An expert from University of Oslo in Anti-Ageing, Alzheimer’s Disease
There are many causes of aging; based on laboratory results, 9 hallmarks (Cell 2013) + the 10th hallmark (defective autophagy) (by Fang EF et al., Trends ; Lautrup S et al., Cell Metabolism 2019 ).
Is oxidative stress the primary cause of aging?
Marco Demaria has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from University Medical Center Groningen in Cell Biology, Anti-Ageing
No, it is clear from experimental evidence that several stresses converge to cause aging.
Is oxidative stress the primary cause of aging?
Peter Barnes has answered Unlikely
An expert from Imperial College London in Medicine
It is an important cause of accelerated ageing but not the only cause. It seems to be the most important cause of accelerated lung ageing in COPD which is usually due to long term cigarette smoking which provides long term oxidative stress to the lungs.