A new study published in Nature Aging argues that the increase in human lifespan induced by modern medicine may be reaching its biological limit, and significant advancements in lifespan will likely come from tackling the aging process itself. The study emphasizes the importance of focusing on healthspan—the number of years a person remains healthy—rather than simply lifespan.
A new study suggests that the human lifespan might be reaching its biological limit, and any increased advancements will likely come from studying aging rather than eliminating disease.This comes from the idea that even if diseases are eradicated, the ravages of aging still impact the body, making it so that life expectancy can’t increase much more.The study authors also suggest that more focus needs to be put on improving healthspan—how long a person remains healthy—rather than just lifespan.
How long can a human live? Jeanne Calment, the world’s oldest person, offers a ceiling of 122 years and 164 days. But researchers have pondered that the limit could be around 150 years, and others say it could be many more years than that. However, a new study published by scientists at the University of Chicago argues that the increase in human lifespan induced by modern medicine may be reaching its biological limit.In other words, we’re not getting any older.Published in the journal Nature Aging this past October, lead author S. Jay Olshansky argues that any significant advancement in improving human lifespan will likely come from tackling the damaging effects of aging rather than curing disease.“Most people alive today at older ages are living on time that was manufactured by medicine,” Olshansky, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, said in a press statement. “But these medical Band-Aids are producing fewer years of life even though they’re occurring at an accelerated pace, implying that the period of rapid increases in life expectancy is now documented to be over.”In fact, the continued focus on extending lifespan instead of healthspan—the concept of improving the years that someone is healthy, and not simply alive—could have harmful effect
LIFESPAN AGING HEALTHSPAN DISEASE BIOLOGICAL LIMIT
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