http://weboflife.nasa.gov/currentResearch/currentResearchGeneralArchives/agingSpaceflight.htm
This link contains a short input on aging and how it can be related to space travel.
It says that as people age, their bone cycle of building and shedding become off-balance, causing a shift towards more shedding than building. This is also due to changes in physical activity, and this is what the web page is connecting space travel with. When astronauts enter microgravity, their bones almost immediately shed mass due to inactivity and loss of body weight support.
"Age- and space-related bone loss seem to have some similar causes: reduced loads due to reduced physical activity or lack of gravitational forces, hormonal changes, and reduced calcium absorption by the intestines."
As the page goes along, it goes to describe how other functioning issues with the body can affect people in space and how that can also be related to the aging processes.
I thought that this was interesting because we talk about old people essentially having some of their body tissues deteriorate, and I knew that astronauts experience the same effects on some level. I was also wondering if research in space travel has identified any new stimulants for promoting expression of any genes responsible for again, but as of now it seems as if it relates to aging in solely functionality aspects and not so much on the gene stimulant level.
