Great Danes and granddads: How 'one medicine' is redefining healthy longevity
Our dogs are more than just pets — they’re family members, companions, and trusted friends who share our lives and our environments. Because of this close bond, they offer a unique window into the aging process, one that can benefit both them and us.
This connection is at the heart of translational medicine, a field that seeks to apply discoveries from one species to improve the health of another. By studying aging in dogs, we can develop therapies that help our canine companions live longer, healthier lives while also advancing the whole field of longevity science.
Defining 'one medicine' and how it contributes to advances in healthcare
As an expert in the field of translational medicine and aging research, I have always been fascinated by the close parallels between the aging processes of humans and our beloved pets. 'One medicine' is a framework we can use to think about this. The concept highlights the deep interconnection between human and veterinary medicine, recognizing that both fields share common ground in disease prevention, treatment, and research.
The concept of 'one medicine' is rooted in the idea that the health of humans, animals, and the environment are interconnected. By recognizing that what affects one can often affect the others, this approach encourages collaboration across disciplines to achieve better health outcomes for all.
For example, recent predictions indicate that by 2040, a quarter of the global population will be over 65 years old — a demographic shift of historic proportions. While longer lifespans represent a victory over infectious diseases and other historical health threats, they also come with a rise in age-related diseases like dementia, cancer, and frailty. Our dogs, too, are living longer, thanks to advances in veterinary care, but they face similar challenges as they age.
This blog post expands on how these parallels can accelerate the development of therapies aimed at improving the health and longevity of both humans and their animal companions.
The concept of 'one medicine' is rooted in the idea that the health of humans, animals, and the environment are interconnected.
By recognizing that what affects one can often affect the others, this approach encourages collaboration across disciplines to achieve better health outcomes for all.
Our dogs share our lives, in sickness and in health
The connection between human and canine aging is no coincidence. Dogs have co-evolved with humans, sharing our environments, lifestyles, food and water sources, and healthcare advances. It’s not surprising, then, that they also have similar aging patterns and disease development. For example, dogs with cancer receive similar treatments as humans, reflecting how closely their health conditions — and their treatment — align with our own. Dogs simply age at an accelerated pace due to their shorter lifespans. These parallels in disease and health across the lifespan makes dogs an important species for learning about the biology of aging for their own health benefit, and also for ours.
Not lost in translation — understanding aging and the mechanisms behind it
Over the past two decades, scientists have made significant strides in unraveling the cellular mechanisms that drive aging. This deepened understanding has unveiled specific biological pathways, such as those affected by calorie restriction, that play critical roles in the aging process. By understanding these mechanisms, researchers have now created tangible opportunities to develop interventions that can slow, prevent, or even reverse age-related decline. This progress has catalyzed the emergence of geroscience, a field dedicated to translating this foundational knowledge into potential therapies that extend healthspan and lifespan by directly targeting the cellular processes that underlie aging.
One of the most fascinating aspects of aging is that it progresses differently for each individual, whether human or dog, and manifests in various ways. Canine aging is influenced by factors such as breed, body size, environment, and genetic predispositions, leading some dogs to age more quickly or slowly than others. Each individual’s experience is shaped by a unique combination of factors. Understanding these differences encourages a more personalized approach to health interventions, focusing on how we might one day influence individual aging trajectories for better outcomes. Although research into this variability is still advancing, it holds promise for developing future strategies to enhance both human and canine longevity and quality of life.
Clinical studies and cross-disciplinary research are keys to longevity science
Despite all we have learned from research in humans and laboratory animals, translating these scientific discoveries into practical interventions for longevity has been challenging. This is where community science comes in.
By adopting a 'one medicine' approach and engaging in well-designed clinical studies, we can accelerate the development of longevity interventions that benefit both humans and dogs. Pet owners now have the opportunity to enroll their animals in studies — like Loyal’s STAY study — designed to improve pet health into late life. Such studies allow pets to continue living at home while the medical team conducting the study carefully ensures that their health and well-being are maintained. In this way, pet owners can participate in and advance community science, collaborating with trained researchers to share observations, thereby co-creating and contributing to scientific outcomes that can redefine how we approach aging.
As we explore new frontiers in aging and longevity, it’s becoming increasingly clear how closely connected humans and dogs are in this journey. The insights from veterinary medicine not only enhance our understanding of aging but also guide us toward innovative solutions that could improve the quality of life for both humans and dogs.