This abstract encapsulates the point made by advocates of slowing aging through metabolic manipulation by drugs or other means - that it is a far better approach than the present dominant methodologies of treating various end-stages of aging separately, and by patching over the symptoms rather than treating root causes: "Atherosclerosis, hypertension, obesity, diabetic complications, cancer, benign prostate hyperplasia, Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases, age-related macular degeneration, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and seborrheic keratosis are strongly associated with aging, implying a common underlying process. Each disease is treated separately and, in most cases, symptomatically. Suppression of aging itself should delay or treat all age-related diseases, thus increasing healthy life span and maximal longevity. But, is it possible to slow down aging? Recent evidence indicates that the target of rapamycin signaling pathway is involved in cellular senescence and organismal aging. Preclinical and clinical studies demonstrated the therapeutic effects of rapamycin in diverse age-related diseases. One simple reason why a single drug is indicated for so many age-related diseases is that it inhibits the aging process."

Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22841821