3 ms·
> As people get older they begin to develop the diseases of old age and have an increasingly pain-filled life. So, not longevity, then, but extension of the sp
by tuatoru 6y ago
> As people get older they begin to develop the diseases of old age and have an increasingly pain-filled life.
So, not longevity, then, but extension of the span of healthy life?
- 21eleven 6y agoDon't they go hand in hand?
- tuatoru 6y agoNot necessarily. There are science fiction stories about extension of youth without extension of lifespan, and ancient myths about people cursed to live a long time without youth. It's possible to imagine health-extending treaments (artificial joints and organs (heart), lung flushes) that don't extend lifespan). We already have treatments that can extend people's lives without health. (Unsuccessful chemotherapy, for one; insulin for type 2 diabetes mellitus, for another.)
- DrRobinson 6y agoCorrect! Usually people imply extending both healthspan and lifespan when they talk about longevity.
- faluzure 6y agoYes, you're correct. Many researchers in the field prefer the phrasing 'human health', the consequence of which is human longevity.