Longevity is often thought of as living longer, but increasing attention is now being given to health span, the period of life spent in good health and free from significant disease. Life span refers to the total number of years a person lives, whereas health span emphasises the quality of those years. Recent research has highlighted that although life expectancy has increased globally, health span has not kept pace, meaning many people may live longer but spend more years with chronic conditions or disability.
Aligning health span with life span means not only extending lifespan but also ensuring that people spend their extended years in better health, maintaining independence, function and overall wellbeing. This requires holistic approaches that combine individual lifestyle strategies with broader social and health system efforts.
Over the last century, improvements in sanitation, vaccinations, living standards, early detection and treatment of disease, and advances in public health have contributed to dramatic increases in life expectancy. However, increases in life expectancy have not always been matched by equivalent improvements in years lived in good health. Globally, the difference between average life expectancy and health-adjusted life expectancy, sometimes called the healthspan-lifespan gap, has been estimated at around nine to ten years in many regions.
This gap means that people may live longer lives overall, but a substantial portion of those years may involve living with one or more chronic health conditions. Addressing this gap is a central focus of current healthy ageing research.
Closing the gap between health span and life span typically involves a combination of lifestyle, clinical and environmental strategies that together support healthier ageing.
Evidence strongly supports that regular physical activity, balanced nutrition, adequate sleep and other healthy habits are associated with greater longevity and improved health span. Even modest increases in daily movement, better sleep and a higher quality diet are linked with longer life and more years spent free of chronic disease.
Lifestyle strategies associated with healthier ageing include:
A diet rich in vegetables, whole foods and anti-inflammatory nutrients.
Regular physical activity, including both aerobic and strength training, which supports heart health, muscle mass and metabolic function.
Maintaining consistent sleep patterns, which supports cellular repair and overall health.
Strong social connections and psychological wellbeing, which have been linked with better resilience and mental health outcomes.
The goal of modern longevity approaches is to ensure that gains in life span are accompanied by gains in health span, allowing people not only to live longer but also to live better. Prioritising preventive care, healthy lifestyles and personalised strategies may help narrow the gap between health span and life span. Integrating scientific insights with public health and individual behaviour will be key to supporting more years lived in good health, vitality and independence.
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