A study published in Nature Aging suggests that the dramatic rise in human life expectancy witnessed over the past century may be hitting the brakes. While healthier diets and medical advancements fuelled a near doubling of life expectancy in the 19th and 20th centuries, researchers now say the rate of increase has slowed significantly in recent decades.
This revelation challenges the prevailing notion that most people born today will live past 100. Instead, experts are urging a shift in focus from merely extending lifespan to prioritizing “health span” – the number of years lived in good health.
“Our result overturns the conventional wisdom that the natural longevity endowment for our species is somewhere on the horizon ahead of us,” explains lead author Professor S. Jay Olshansky from the University of Illinois Chicago. “Instead, it’s behind us.”
The study analysed data from nine regions with the highest current life expectancies – including Japan, France, and Australia – and compared them with the United States. Findings reveal that despite rapid medical advancements, life expectancy for these populations has increased by an average of just six and a half years since 1990.
“We’ve now proven that modern medicine is yielding incrementally smaller improvements in longevity even though medical advances are occurring at breakneck speed,” states Olshansky. He emphasizes that extending life expectancy further through disease reduction could be detrimental if those additional years are marked by poor health.
The research underscores the importance of investing in strategies that slow aging and promote healthy living. This includes not only advancements in medicine but also a broader focus on lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, and stress management.
The study’s authors believe their findings have profound implications for social, health, and economic policies. As the global population ages, the focus must shift towards ensuring not just longer lives, but healthier and more fulfilling ones.
