Dietary Restriction and Toxicological Endpoints: An Historical Overview

The United States and other developed countries are increasingly having to adapt to a population that has a significant percentage of individuals who are 75 years old or older (Figure 4.1). Diseases such as heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and cancer are lcnown to increase significantly after the age of 60 (Fig. 4.2). As the population of senior citizens increases, with a concomitant increase in age-associated disease, it can be anticipated that there will be an added burden on health care systems in the USA and other developed countries. Recently, there has been much attention paid to the modulation of the onset of disease, particularly heart disease and cancer, through diet.