A Classmate’s Contribution

In “A Drug’s Promise (or Not) of Youth,” Brian Alexander cites my old high school (class of ‘43) buddy, Danny Rudman (The Forever Young Issue, July 9). We shared many experiences: played baseball, basketball and football together; sat side by side in class; belonged to the same neighborhood boy’s club. Danny was the most brilliant person I ever met. He dedicated himself to medical research to help society. At our 50th high school reunion in 1993 (a year before he died), Danny presented a seminar on how senior citizens can contribute to society and live productive lives well into old age. We came from the same school in many respects.

Today, at age 79, I continue to be active in the engineering profession and I have a second career: poker. It is well that you included Danny’s admonition: “insisting . . . that any use of growth hormone for anti-aging was wildly premature.” His cautious advice should be heeded rather than the claims of people such as Dr. Edmund Chein--claims that are only too quickly accepted by people who are overly anxious to extend their lives.

George Epstein

Los Angeles