Table 1.

Positive and negative effects of lifestyle and pharmacological interventions on humans; where no direct data is available for humans, corresponding effects on mice are listed.

Treatment	Positive effects	Negative effects
Caloric restriction	Decreased body fat, blood pressure, resting heart rate and improved lipid profile	Danger of malnutrition (e.g. neurologic deficits, lowered fertility and libido, wound healing problems, amenorrhea, osteoporosis, decreased potential to combat infections)
Fasting strategies	Longer lifespan; decreased hypertension and of other features of metabolic syndrome; improved verbal memory loss in the aged and overweight; weight loss in the obese	Limited if not integrated with health- associated diets; might be harmful in children, underweight people and during pregnancy as well as in some disease states
Exercise	Prevents cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis, sarcopenia and depression; prolongs independent living by the elderly	Excessive exercise in the elderly is correlated to mortality
Resveratrol	(in mice) prevents oxidative stress in the aging heart, neurodegeneration and diabetes	Lifespan effects controversial
Rapamycin	(in mice) Extends lifespan; exerts anti- proliferative effects	Potent immunosuppressive properties; long-term administration has adverse effects (e.g. impaired wound healing, proteinuria, or pneumonitis)
Spermidine	(in mice) Extends lifespan; inhibits neurodegeneration
Metformin	(in mice) decreases hepatic gluconeogenesis and increases insulin sensitivity; lifespan extension