A NEW LOOK AT LONGETIVITY

 I have just received my degree as a certified futurist thanks to a wonderful lifelong learning course. A six-week course that sent me on a path to thinking about and researching longevity in the last few weeks. The impact may be even greater than the change. Are you ready?

According to the CDC, currently the average life span in the U.S. today is 77.5 years. Yet more and more people living are to 100 years and more, and what are we to do with the prediction that living to an active 125 years will soon be attainable. If you’re eager to live that long.

Frankly, I’m not. I am already twenty-four years past my expiration date and often feel, well, tired. I’ve put two careers behind me and now it looks as if I’ll need a third. (Of course, once you reach a certain age, you can’t plan too far in advance. A new five-year business plan might be out of the question.) Still.

Globally, the World Health Organization, WHO, predicts that by 2050 the population aged 60 years or more will double, while those aged 80 years or more will number 400 million persons. This extension of the lifespan is looked upon as a triumph of medical advances stemming from access to better treatments as well as a focus on preventive therapies.  

So I’m asking…is 80 fast becoming the new 70 in human years?

You’ll notice I have more questions than answers.

Longevity has been attributed to DNA, a positive attitude, a Blue Zone lifestyle - work, a plant based diet, red wine - and socialization. So-called, super-agers also may experience a metabolic slowdown, a slowdown of the aging process…which includes the brain. (Apparently Henry Kissinger at 100 years of age was still serving as a consultant on foreign affairs just before he passed.) But apparently one size does not fit all. One book on how to live longer does not apply to everyone.

Are we interested in longevity because we fear the alternative?

We do know that heart disease and cancer are the two most common causes of death at any age. Both are subjects to ongoing research with increasing positive survival rates. Some speculate specific targeting will eradicate cancer altogether in the near future. It’s already being done with varying degrees of success for different types of the disease. Early detection whether by chance or testing is the very best option.

Genome editing (changing the DNA of a cell or organism) holds great promise for cancer and a variety of diseases. Like AI, however, Genome editing carries a multitude of ethical concerns.

AI has taken its place in operating rooms. Over the last six years, I have had OR robots perform two quite different and successful surgeries on me - with the assistance of talented surgeons.

So, yes, I think we should fear AI and also be very grateful.

The medical community has already made great advancements in the skeletal department. We are fortunate to have an array of replacement parts…hip, knee, arms, elbows, etc. (And there are parts you can live quite nicely without, like the appendix.)

So many advancements have been made in the last fifty years; imagine what the next fifty will bring!  A cure for the common cold?

And then if you’re feeling young and great, the next step is clear.

Cosmetic surgery can completely transform the human body, removing years of wear and tear. A boom for the anti-aging population - mostly women. Although, I wonder why thirty year old women are subjecting to Botox injections on a regular basis. I don’t understand the big lips either, fish lips…rather resemble grouper lips. But perhaps with whatever procedures you choose, you’ll be able to look more like a 95 year old when you’re 125.

Is that a good thing?

When I did a small informal poll asking if folks would like to live to 125 most said yes as long as they enjoyed a good quality of life. Quality of life is soo subjective. And chancy!

The eldest in many cultures are revered for their wisdom which is a good thing. But what if in this new age of aging, the information you possessed at 100 years was irrelevant by the time you were 125? What then will you offer? (Just gives me goose bumps!)

One of my friends once told me, “I’m not afraid to die. I just don’t want to miss anything.”

And there’s that.