Discover how we've doubled our life expectancy in the last 220 years and the grim reality of our health system's inability to keep up with our prolonged existence. Or
Dive into the fascinating journey of human longevity, exploring the evolution of life expectancy from the 1800s to the present day. Understand why living beyond 45 might not be as great as it seems and what the future of health could look like.
Remember your last birthday? You blew out a candle, added a year to your age, and most probably, rejoiced at the gift of another year.
But, what if the ticking clock since birth was counting down to a startling reality – the number 40? And that’s it – 40!! Game Over.
Life is a priceless gift in itself. But what if I told you, biologically speaking, we shouldn’t be living beyond 40 years of age?
Shocking, isn't it?
But as we delve deeper into this topic, we might just find some truth in this seemingly bizarre assumption.
So, fasten your seatbelts. This is going to be a bumpy ride!
The Grim Reality of the 1800s
In the 1800s, life expectancy hovered around 30 to 40 years, to be precise it was 37 years of age. [1]
Infant and child mortality rates were devastatingly high, and people succumbed to infectious diseases like tuberculosis, cholera, typhoid fever, and influenza.
Poor sanitation, limited medical knowledge, malnutrition, hazardous working conditions, and limited healthcare access were the norm.
All of these variables, when combined, lowered life expectancy.
The Unforgiving Process of Aging
Aging, in essence, refers to a constant reduction in our biological health. The onset of ageing, which is characterised by cellular senescence and DNA damage, initiates a vicious cycle.
As we age, our cells become more susceptible to damage, leading to diseases that culminate in chronic illness. [2]
A critical player in this process is NAD+, a molecule that declines significantly from our 20s, impacting cellular health.
This decline manifests both internally and externally, underscoring our mortal struggle with time.
Doubling Life Expectancy: Not Evolution, But Revolution
Over the past 220 years, we’ve managed to more than double our life expectancy. [8].
But this remarkable increase isn’t due to evolution, as one might assume.
Human evolution has taken hundreds of thousands of years, and such dramatic improvements over two centuries just doesn’t fit the evolutionary timeline. [9].
So, if evolution isn't behind this dramatic jump from 40 to 80, what is?
"Life's a journey, not a destination." Right?
Well, life expectancy today is like a long, uncomfortable road trip with your health gradually declining. [3]
Factors like advancements in medical knowledge, improved sanitation practices, and socioeconomic development have buoyed our lifespans. [10].
Life Beyond 40: A Double-Edged Sword
But this borrowed time comes with a stark reality - increased life expectancy doesn’t equate to healthy living.
Our biological health declines faster than our chronological age increases, leading to a gap between our lifespan and health-span. [4]. So, what’s the difference?
Lifespan refers to the total number of years that an individual lives. It's the time period from birth to death, including everything in between.
Health-span is a measure of the time an individual spends in good health, free from diseases or disabilities, during their lifespan. It is the duration of life where one is in good health and has a good quality of life.
The ultimate goal is to extend not just our lifespan, but our health-span, so we can enjoy a high quality of life for as long as possible.
Problem is we just aren’t achieving this. Research shows that even though we’re living longer, we spend the last 19 years of our lives in poor health. [5]
Not exactly the golden years we envisioned.
We are living longer, but still spending 50% of our lives in poor or moderate health. Image: McKinsey Health Institute
The Downhill Journey Beyond 40
From minor issues in our 40s to significant health problems in our 50s and 60s, our bodies start to falter as we surpass four decades of living.
Modern-day illnesses and diseases become frequent, unwanted guests, reminding us of our biological limitations.
It's a sobering thought—biologically, we’re the same as we were 220 years ago. [6] Not much has changed at our cellular level from those living in the 1800’s. It’s this evolutionary standstill that explains why humans get chronic illness and disease as we get older.
Reactional Health: A Symptom of Our Healthcare Sick System
We need to re-think and rename what we know as our “Healthcare System”. An alternative name to consider is our “Sick System”. Here’s why.
Though our medical knowledge, research and procedures are advanced, and continue to break new ground, our health system primarily focuses on reactional health—treating illnesses after they appear. Our healthcare system chases the symptoms, often neglecting the root cause.
This health care strategy not only comes at an enormous financial cost, but it also exposes a significant disparity in our healthcare system.
We're not getting healthier, just better at managing disease.
Preventative Health: The Dawn of a New Era
Conclusion? We need a paradigm shift—a move from reactional health to preventative health.
Einstein once said, "Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them."
Perhaps it's time we became geniuses of our health.
By prioritizing proactive measures like regular screenings, health education, lifestyle changes, and early interventions, we can tackle health issues when they’re manageable. [7]
Or better still, understand the underlying cause of these chronic illnesses and address them early, possible preventing them from developing in the first place.
This proactive approach could transform our healthcare system, reducing the costs associated with reactionary medicine and promoting overall well-being.
Understanding Today's Aging Process
Understanding the aging process of today and applying preventive measures early in life could help extend our health-span.
Choices like diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management significantly impact our long-term health and aging process.
Extending Healthy Lifespan: A Glimmer of Hope
Emerging research shows promising results in the use of NAD+ boosters to slow down the aging process [8]. These precursors could potentially support cellular health and longevity, offering hope for a prolonged, healthier life.
But not just any precursor or NAD+ boosters.
Increasing the falling levels of NAD+ requires a comprehensive approach that addresses the underlying causes of the decline. This can only be achieved by restoring The Salvage Pathway and recycle NAM (used NAD+) back into fresh NAD+.
Unfortunately, despite their popularity, NAD+ boosters like NMN and NR, don't adequately tackle these complexities of NAD+ decline.
So, should we really be living beyond 45? It's food for thought.
Before you dismiss the concept, think of our predecessors from the 1800’s, their state of health and their genuine chances of living beyond 45. Our expanded lifespans today certainly show signs of progress, but the chronic illnesses we encounter, tell a different story.
It's high time we turned our focus on enhancing the quality of life rather than just adding years to it.
Remember, it's not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain.
References:
[1] Riley, J. (2001). Rising life expectancy: A global history. Cambridge University Press.
[2] Nils Z. Borgesius. (2011) Accelerated Age-Related Cognitive Decline and Neurodegeneration, Caused by Deficient DNA Repair.
[3] Rowe, J. W., & Kahn, R. L. (1997). Successful Aging. Gerontologist. 37(4): 433–440.
[4] David G Le Couteur, (2022). New horizons in life extension, healthspan extension and exceptional longevity.
[5] Erica Coe, McKinsey Health Institute. (2022) Adding years to life and life to years.
[6] Fran Dorey (2021) How have we changed since our species first appeared?
[7] Dr Debra Sullivan, (2023) What Is Preventive Health and Why Is It Important?
[8] Nady Braidy, (2022). Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) in Aging