Since the dawn of time, man has contemplated ways to live forever. While this goal remains science fiction, major healthcare and technology breakthroughs have resulted in extended human longevity. People live longer today than ever, and reports indicate that the trend will continue into the foreseeable future. Here’s everything you need to know about how new advancements extend human longevity.
Statistics Don’t Lie
Several studies examining extending life expectancies have provided some interesting results. For example, a report from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and coordinated by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) revealed that the average life expectancy of a female in the US will increase from 73.6 years in 2022 to 78.1 years by 2050. This report revealed a longer life expectancy of +0-27 years between 1990 and 2019 as well.
The data revealed that the biggest increase in life expectancy will come from the countries with the lowest longevity currently. These nations will quickly gain access to healthcare and other services that will make this transformation a possibility according to researchers. This discovery was in stark contrast to what many analysts believed the scenario would be, superpowers experiencing the largest life expectancy increases.
How Will People Live Longer?
There are some interesting ways in which your life expectancy may increase in the future. Researchers continue to delve into various methods and sciences to ward off the effects of old age and extend youth and health. Here are a few interesting studies that should help you understand that the race for human longevity has many paths.
Anti-Aging Drugs to Drive Human Longevity
The idea of an age-defying elixir has been a concept since ancient civilizations. There are moments in history when dignitaries and others attempted some crazy ways to stop the effects of time. For example, cinnabar (mercuric sulfide) was commonly used in makeup products in ancient cultures, resulting in disease and death.
Thankfully, science may be closer to finding the true anti-aging serum. A study, published in the journal Fly, delves into the use of Mifepristone and Rapamycin to extend life expectancy. The researchers used fruit flies as the subjects, which they monitored using a noninvasive method.
Source – Ourworldindata
The engineers noticed that both Mifepristone and Rapamycin slightly extended the fly’s life expectancy by enhancing the cell’s ability to fight off mitophagy, restoring your cell’s mitochondrial health. Humans naturally lose this capability as they age.
The results of the study suggested both drugs slightly improved this capability. However, when used together, they didn’t improve results, leading researchers to conclude they work similarly. Notably the test was conducted at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences and funded by the National Institute on Aging grant R01AG057741.
Now engineers seek to get approval for further testing of the drugs on humans. Thankfully, these drugs are both used for other purposes currently, making it easier to get them approved as anti-aging drugs if the benefits are clinically proven.
Cardio Fitness Boosts Human Longevity
It may not be a huge surprise to learn that there is a strong connection between your cardiovascular health and your life expectancy for most people. However, according to a new report published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM), this connection is far greater than once thought. A team of researchers examined +20.9 million observations from 199 unique research groups, seeking out the correlation.
The researchers discovered that the better your body is at supplying oxygen during intense activities, the longer you are likely to live. It also showed that you’re less likely to develop diseases when you consistently enhance your blood flow by working out and staying active. This data demonstrates how high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness may be one of the best ways to ward off diseases like type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancers, stroke, and depression.
Microbiome Optimization Can Improve Human Longevity.
Another report found that your gut microbiome is a crucial component that could dictate how long you live. Your microbiome is home to billions of microorganisms that all play a part in your health, digestion, and bodily functions. This critical component of your anatomy dictates your nutrition absorption, immune system health, hormone levels, metabolism, and much more.
Researchers have discovered that those with healthier gut microbiomes enjoy a reduced risk of various chronic diseases. As such, enhancing your microbiome can help you live longer and healthier. To improve your microbiome, you don’t need anything special. A healthy diet, which includes pro and prebiotics, can make a difference.
Water-Bear May be the Key
Nature is full of creatures that seem to ward off aging or sickness through unimaginably harsh conditions. In the past, engineers have looked towards jellyfish, lobsters, tortoises, and other animals to reveal some of their longevity secrets. A recent study shrinks the subjects to a microscopic level in search of results.
The tardigrade, or water bear, is a tiny arthropod that can survive in some insane conditions. For example, these tiny creatures can hibernate for years awaiting water. They can also survive in a vacuum for 8 days and in an otherworldly oxygen-free atmosphere for 3 days.
The researchers wanted to study the secret to their ability to slow down their cell metabolism, called biostasis. According to a recent report, the CAHS protein was discovered to be a main component in the process, leading researchers to isolate and create engineered human cell CAHS proteins. These genetically engineered cells will undergo further testing to see how resilient they are compared to their water-bear cousins.
Extreme Methods to Enhance Human Longevity
Of course, no search for the fountain of youth would be complete without some highly controversial methods. From siphoning blood from younger generations to editing your genes, there are plenty of methods of extending your life that have raised eyebrows with concern.
Young Blood Transfusion
The concept of a blood transfusion to improve health isn’t anything new. Healthcare professionals have conducted blood transfusion since its introduction in 1665. Of Course, back then, the process was only being tested on dogs. It wouldn’t be until the 1900s that the human blood groups would be discovered, paving the way for human transfusions.
Since the first transfusions, there have been claims that the process could help rejuvenate the aged by providing younger blood. However, until recently, these were simply unproven claims. A new study looks into transfused blood from a younger mouse into an older mouse.
The researchers tracked the improvements in health. Surprisingly, there were substantial improvements in the older mice’s vigor, circulation, and overall health. Now, the team wants to conduct similar studies in human patients. However, it has received significant backlash for what many see as a potential vampire-like scenario where the wealthy would siphon the less fortunate youth like a sci-fi horror film.
Edit Your Genes
Gene splicing technology continues to improve, and systems like CRISPR-Cas9 have made the process far more stable and predictive. The concept of gene splicing to enhance longevity is simple. Find the genes that are aging and replace them. Now, researchers envision a day when they can alter your genetic code to prevent diseases and other genetic ailments.
This technology even enables future parents to make “adjustments” to their children’s features and more. As you would imagine, this controversial approach to extending human life has seen some pushback from those who see the potential for abuse in the future. For now, CRISPR tech and other gene splicing options remain at the forefront of extending life expectancy research.
Companies that Can Benefit from the Drive to extend Human Longevity
The market is full of companies that have a lot to gain from the research conducted in extending human life expectancy. From healthcare providers to those shipping medications, there is a massive economy relying on people’s desire to live longer. Here’s one firm positioned perfectly to see some upswing from this trend.
Generation Bio Inc.
Generation Bio Co. (GBIO -1.27%)
Generation Bio Co. (GBIO -1.27%)
Generation Bio Inc. (GBIO -1.27%) is a leading gene therapy drug provider. The company is based out of Cambridge and was founded by Mark D. Angelino, Jason P. Rhodes, and Robert M. Kotin in 2016. Since its launch, Generation Bio has pioneered next-gen gene therapy including the release of cDNA and ctLNP, designed to deliver nanoparticles.
Generation Bio has a strong positioning in the market and is ideally suited to introduce a variety of the techs mentioned. The company has a market cap of $156.84M and has shown $5.9M in revenue so far this year. It currently employs +174 professionals. Interstingly, GBIO has seen some drawbacks alongside many other healthcare stocks but recently began to demonstrate upward momentum. Considering the company’s positioning and unique product line, GBIO is a smart stock to watch.
Human Longevity – Living Longer Doesn’t Equal Better
Sadly a study conducted by the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021 that showed the elderly will be around longer but they will suffer from a range of extended health complications during their longer life. Interestingly, these diseases will be largely non-communicable ailments, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
Human Longevity – Searchin for the fountain of youth
There are many different ways in which researchers seek to enable you to live longer. These strategies are just a few of the thousands of different approaches that people have taken over the years. However, unlike your ancestors, these recent attempts enjoy the most advanced testing and simulation capabilities, making them by far the most effective to date. As such, you should start planning to live a bit longer than expected.
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