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>Centuries ago almost no one lived long enough to die from heart disease, cancer, or dementia. Now those are common, diseases of old age, imposing tremendous co
by annyeonghada 4y ago
>Centuries ago almost no one lived long enough to die from heart disease, cancer, or dementia. Now those are common, diseases of old age, imposing tremendous costs. I don’t propose going back to 35 year lifespans
This is false. The life expectancy one you reached puberty was very similar to the current one. The 35 years lifespans were due to insane infant mortality. Modern medicine has been able to avoid the death of children but it hasn't being able to extend the duration of your healthy life other than from the statistical point of view.
- gregjor 4y agoI was careful to use the term "lifespan" rather than "life expectancy" to avoid this error. Historically people died mainly of infections or sepsis. Modern medicine has developed treatments for those, so now cancer, heart disease, and dementia -- formerly fairly rare because people would die of something else first -- are the leading causes of death among the elderly. These conditions, which can take years to cause death, require long-term expensive treatment, with very little difference in average lifespan of people who reach adulthood.