Extending our Healthspan

"Healthspan:" the number of years we live in good health
vs. lifespan: the number of years we live.

There's an old joke about how running extends one's life--by the number of hours that one has spent running. In other words we may live longer but we won't enjoy the extra time.

But seriously... [bold added]

Americans are living longer, but spending less time in good health.

The estimated average proportion of life spent in good health declined to 83.6% in 2021, down from 85.8% in 1990, according to an analysis of the latest data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease study, a research effort based at the University of Washington.

The decrease of time spent in good health is partly because medical advances are catching and treating diseases that once would have killed us. But it is also because of the rising prevalence, often among younger people, of conditions such as obesity, diabetes and substance-use disorders.

Your humble blogger still includes himself in the majority of people who consider themselves to be in good health. I take medication for diabetes and high cholesterol, but neither has affected normal daily activities (yet). Nor have I experienced cognitive decline, as readers of this humble journal can plainly see.

On the whole, the news is good. Advances in medical science provide the tools to keep aging boomers in reasonably good health into our 80's 🤞. However, having a long "healthspan" will be up to the individual: exercise, diet, and sleep are just the basics. Mental challenges, social activity, avoiding stress, and going to the doctor regularly are also on the list of requirements. It's like a job, only more important because it's life and death.