Longevity
The capacity to live a long, healthy life. In modern science, longevity refers not just to maximum lifespan but to the extension of healthspan, the years lived in full physical and cognitive health.
Longevity, in common usage, simply means long life. In the scientific context, the term has evolved to encompass a more nuanced meaning: the capacity to live for many years while maintaining biological function, physical health, and cognitive capability.
Modern longevity science is less focused on reaching maximum chronological age and more focused on extending healthspan, the period of life during which people are healthy, functional, and independent. Researchers distinguish between:
- Lifespan: total years from birth to death - Healthspan: years spent in good health - Maximum lifespan: the longest any human has been recorded to live (currently 122 years, Jeanne Calment) - Average lifespan: the mean age at death for a population
Longevity research studies the biological mechanisms of aging and tests interventions, both lifestyle and pharmacological, that may slow aging or extend the healthy years of life. The field draws from molecular biology, epigenetics, metabolism research, exercise science, nutrition science, and technology.
A centenarian study might find that people who live to 100 in good health share certain lifestyle characteristics, biomarker profiles, or genetic variants. These findings inform longevity research and may point toward intervention targets.