[JoshTriplett]

That statement seems to me to simply state a fact, and suggest taking a different approach. That doesn't mean we should halt all research on anything else.

There certainly exist quite a number of diseases that have nothing to do with aging. On the other hand, there also exist quite a few health problems, including many that represent a substantial fraction of healthcare spending, that do relate to age-related degeneration. Taking that into account would produce a better allocation of resources.