Widening healthspan-lifespan gap highlights global challenges

New research from Mayo Clinic sheds light on growing disparities between life expectancy and years spent in good health.

A study recently published in JAMA Network Open has revealed a concerning trend: while global life expectancy has steadily increased, the number of years individuals live in good health has not kept pace. Spanning two decades and encompassing data from 183 World Health Organization (WHO) member states, the research by the Mayo Clinic 's Armin Garmany and Dr Andre Terzic mayo highlights an average healthspan-lifespan gap of 9.6 years globally – a disparity that poses significant implications for healthcare systems, public health strategies and individual quality of life and that raises important questions about the quality of life in later years and the role of health systems in addressing this challenge.

My take on this: Metrics such as health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE) offer a nuanced perspective on longevity – they capture not just the number of years individuals live, but the quality of those years. These measures are instrumental in formulating policies aimed at closing the gap between lifespan and healthspan; they provide robust evidence to support preventive health strategies, shaping government approaches to prioritize wellness over reactive care. While understanding this gap can offer a foundation for advocating policy change, it is vital that governments take heed and embed preventive strategies into their approaches to healthcare.

The report highlights a growing gap between longer lifespans and healthier lives. From 2000 to 2019, global life expectancy increased by 6.5 years, but health-adjusted life expectancy rose only 5.4 years, revealing more years lived with illness or disability.

High-income countries like the US, Australia and the UK showed the largest gaps, with the US leading at 12.4 years due to rising noncommunicable diseases such as mental health issues and neurological conditions. Meanwhile, smaller gaps in countries like Lesotho reflect differing healthcare challenges. These findings emphasize the need for better strategies to close the healthspan-lifespan divide.

Hevolution Foundation – prevention as a cornerstone

Hevolution Foundation , a global non-profit dedicated to extending healthspan, emphasized the importance of prevention in addressing the challenges highlighted by this study. The organization focuses on understanding the biological processes of aging and increasing access to preventive measures as a means of narrowing the healthspan-lifespan gap. By investing in research and fostering collaborations across scientific disciplines, Hevolution Foundation aims to accelerate the development of interventions that promote healthy aging and reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases.

"To effectively address the gap between lifespan and healthspan – the number of years spent in good health – governments and policymakers need to prioritize healthy aging and invest financial resources in extending healthspan,” Dr Mehmood Khan , CEO of Hevolution Foundation told Longevity.Technology. "Currently, countries spend trillions on treating symptoms of age-related diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and dementia, yet invest little in understanding the root causes of aging that are linked to these ailments. Redirecting a portion of this budget toward aging research could yield significant long-term benefits.”

Explore global disparities, widening health gaps and what needs to change going forward, with more insights from Dr Khan right HERE.

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