But sometimes these repair mechanisms go wrong, leaving small regions of misrepair. The new idea is that aging is the result of the accumulation of these misrepairs over time.

This leads to a key prediction about aging. The team says: "Our theory suggests that for extending lifespan all efforts need to focus on the reduction of misrepair."

So what should you do if you want to live longer? Avoid damage as far as possible, say Michelitsch and pals, emphasising that "it is especially important to prevent chronic inflammation, which is an important source of misrepair."