Adding Life to Years, Not Just Years to Life: The Importance of Thinking About Healthspan When Trying to Extend Life Expectancy
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The idea of significantly extending the human lifespan, or even achieving immortality is a growing field of interest for scientists and researchers. However, there is another equally important concept that must also be considered in conjunction with the quest to extend life… Healthspan.
Healthspan refers to the number of years a person spends in good health, i.e. the time they are free from chronic diseases, ailments, or disabilities. Therefore, it is not just about clocking up the years, but making those years count with good health and quality of life. If we do indeed find the “fountain of youth,” it will be just as important that humans live both a long and healthy life too.
For example, when scientists develop technology that increases human life expectancy to say 200 years, there will be less benefit if one’s health starts to decline at 80 years old, and if people just end up living a longer amount of time suffering from age-related diseases. Living longer or indefinitely would not be as an appealing prospect to the masses, and likely put a greater strain on healthcare systems if scientists do not address increasing healthspans in conjunction with lifespans.
A longer healthspan will also mean more years of humans being healthy, cognitively sound, active, and capable of leading a rewarding and productive life. It will also result in people using the extra years they’ve gained to enjoy a life of continued personal growth and they will continue to contribute to the economy or society in general, instead of spending their additional time. in discomfort or disability.
Many discoveries and drug developments could also be blocked or not get off the ground either, as governments who usually take a cost-benefit approach when allocating funds may be more reluctant to subsidise new drugs and technologies that are endeavouring to come to market.
Therefore, limiting the strain on healthcare systems and aged care, by restoring health, or delaying the onset of age-related diseases is so crucial in the quest for life-extending technology to become publicly available, and ensuring people aren’t priced out of the technology due to their wealth or social status.
Extending the time people could also spend in the workforce if they are in full health, could also be appealing to governments and society as a whole, where increased productivity could lead to economic growth and greater societal wealth, which in turn would offset the costs of longevity research and interventions. This could only increase the chances of governments committing funding towards anti-aging initiatives and life extension technologies.
One of the most promising routes scientists are going down is through understanding and manipulating the biological processes that drive aging. This is where the emerging field of Geroscience comes in, which studies the relationship between aging and age-related diseases.
Several experimental interventions currently show potential. These include senolytics, drugs that target and eliminate senescent cells (which are essentially old, non-functioning cells that contribute to aging). There is also research into molecules such as NAD+ and resveratrol, known for their anti-aging effects, and interventions like caloric restriction and intermittent fasting, which have shown lifespan-extending effects in animal studies.
Scientists are also delving into more advanced technologies such as gene therapy, which aim to correct genetic defects and prevent or slow down age-related diseases. Another route will be through regenerative medicine, which is the practice of replacing damaged tissues or organs, through the likely use of stem cells, and even extending this further into the use of bioprinting.
The ultimate goal of these interventions is to not simply add more years to our lives, but more “life” to our years.
A fundamental principle many longevity scientists are looking at is the idea of treating aging as a disease, and ultimately a condition that can be prevented or treated. These scientific researchers aim to target the biological processes that drive aging, with the goal of delaying or eradicating the onset of age-related diseases.
The quest for immortality or extended lifespan is a fascinating journey, and the importance of extending healthspans will play an important part in driving this journey. With the amazing strides researchers are making in longevity science and medicine, this balanced future of extended good health and increased lifespans could very well be within society’s grasp over the next couple of decades.
