The average human lifespan has potentially reached its longest potential, a new study suggests.
Despite new advances in medicine, growth in human longevity appears to be slowing in recent years, according to a study published in the journal Nature Aging.
Throughout the 20th century, advances in public health increased life expectancy at birth by about 30 years in high-income countries, the study said.
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Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) analyzed national vital statistics of the longevity populations of Australia, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, as well as Hong Kong and the United States. From 1990 to 2019.
Predictions that the average human lifespan will exceed 100 years are likely wrong, a study has found. (St. Petersburg)
Since 1990, life expectancy in the countries surveyed has increased by only 6 to 1.5 years, casting doubt on expectations that people born today will live to be over 100 years old.
Researchers conclude that improvements in overall life expectancy are slowing and that unless the biological aging process can be “significantly slowed down,” a fundamental extension of human lifespans is “unlikely this century.” Ta.
“Decrease in profits”
Study co-author Dr. S. Jay Olshansky, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at UIC, shared his reaction in a conversation with Fox News Digital.
“The power of medicine to extend human lifespan is extraordinary.”
“We are demonstrating what has actually happened in all of these populations over the past 30 years,” he wrote in an email. “The decline in improvement was particularly pronounced in the United States.”
“As long as aging remains unchanged, extending lifespan through reduced disease must have diminishing returns. That is the overall conclusion of this paper.”
The researchers concluded that the era of rapid increases in life expectancy is over. (St. Petersburg)
The researchers also suggested that most people over the age of 60 are living in “artificial time”, meaning they are surviving on new medical technology.
“We should all be grateful that these life-extending technologies work, because without them our lifespans would be even shorter,” he said.
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Olshansky explained that humans were not built to live as long as they do now, as humans' natural lifespan is between 30 and 60 years.
“This means that the vast majority of the population currently living beyond the age of 60 is living at a medically generated survival rate,” he said. “The power of medicine to extend human lifespan is extraordinary.”
One of the study authors (not pictured) suggested that humans are living according to a timeline created by modern medicine. (St. Petersburg)
Olshansky said medical interventions to alleviate the disease could be considered “temporary” bandages.
“Living longer means we are exposed to the now constant force of biological aging, which is already a major risk factor for mortality in high-income countries.” he said.
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Olshansky noted that more than 30 years ago, researchers predicted that while medicine would advance at a “breakneck speed,” life expectancy would not keep pace.
“This prediction has come true, and the days of rapidly increasing life expectancy are over,” he said.
One doctor pointed out that aging is linked to inflammation, which can be treated with available drugs. (St. Petersburg)
Dr. Mark Siegel, FOX News Senior Medical Analyst and Clinical Professor of Medicine New York University Langone Medical CenterAlthough not involved in the study, he shared his thoughts on the findings.
“I disagree with this because aging is associated with inflammation,” he told FOX News Digital.
“Current treatments (such as metformin, Lipitor, and Ozempic) and dietary strategies, as well as new treatments under investigation, have the potential to reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance, all of which contribute to cell longevity. “I do,” the doctor added.
“Control what you can control”
According to Olshansky, the time has come for people to focus not on extending lifespans but on extending healthy lifespans.
“This paper presents the strongest empirical evidence supporting the need to slow aging. [bandages] What we are building now has the potential to expand our care span. Especially if it means pushing us longer and deeper into the red zone of aging, where frailty and disability reign. ”
The researchers (not pictured) told FOX News Digital: “We now have evidence of why extending healthy life expectancy should be a major goal going forward.” (St. Petersburg)
Olshansky advised the public to “control what you can control” and avoid life-shortening activities such as unhealthy eating, smoking and drug abuse.
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Scientists also encouraged people to take advantage of access to medicines by seeing a doctor and taking prescribed medicines.
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“Let's take advantage of the social determinants of health, such as education and access to health care, because these interventions can increase the likelihood of living longer and healthier lives,” he said.
“And let's focus on prolonging the most precious asset on earth: a healthy life.”
