Healthspan is the new longevity
It’s an undeniable truth that aging is inevitable. Isn’t it? What if almost everything we’ve been taught about aging is wrong? What if we could change how long we live? In other words, could we choose our longevity by having a better healthspan?
We’re living in an aging world
Statistics show that the age of our community is rising, especially in the developed world. In 2017, one in eight people worldwide was aged 60 and over. In 2050, older people are projected to account for one in five people globally. So, by 2050, this group will be around two billion people.
The most rapid increase in the 60+ population is occurring in the developing world, which is expected to show a 225% jump between 2010 and 2050.
In our youth, the issue of aging wasn’t something we lost sleep over. Our energy levels could withstand anything. We woke up feeling fresh and ready to take on the day, and indulging in a double-cheese pizza didn’t result in our picking up a very resistant 3kg, seemingly overnight.
However, over time, the reality of aging kicks in. Now, science reveals that our lifespan will be determined 70% by our lifestyle and 30% by genetics.
Scientists such as Australia-born David Sinclair, a leading researcher in the field of aging at Harvard Medical School in the US, believes youthfulness can also be “reset” in the body, using epigenetic reprogramming. He says: “Soon we will be able to tweak cells in a particular way that the central nervous system behaves as if it were young again. This is an exciting moment in time for the science of longevity. Researchers are on the verge of understanding the process of aging and how to create drugs that promote extended healthy longevity.”
Your path to a better healthspan
While lifespan refers to how long a person lives, from birth until death, healthspan is about how many of those years were lived in complete health. It describes how long we are able to function without the assistance of others, in the absence of chronic disease and frailty.
Dr Craige Golding, a specialist physician and pioneer of
