Human life expectancy has increased significantly since the 1800s. This is mainly because fewer children and young people die prematurely thanks to better healthcare and hygiene. Nevertheless, life expectancy at older ages is also slowly increasing. For example, a 65-year-old nowadays lives on average slightly longer than in the past.
What is striking is that this increase is taking place without there being many new medicines or treatments to combat old age itself. This makes scientists curious as to why we are living longer. One possible explanation is that we are ageing more slowly, in other words, that the process leading to old age and age-related diseases is unfolding less rapidly.
Ageing means that our bodies function less well over time and fall ill more often. If this process occurs more slowly, people can therefore remain healthy for longer and ultimately also live longer. Improvements in public health, fewer infections and medical progress can lead to less damage in the body, thereby slowing down ageing.
Whether this development truly means that ageing is being slowed down or merely postponed is still the subject of research. This distinction is important to better understand what ageing actually is and how we might be able to influence it.
These insights are important for anyone who wants to age healthily, as they indicate that it is possible to slow down aging itself and thereby enjoy life for longer.
Source: Reason
