So, you've just found out why we’re still ambivalent about anti-ageing’s semantic reinvention – emphasising a re-orientation towards evidence-based science away from the fad offerings of the anti-ageing market.
At epiAge, we prefer to use the term “longevity”. Of course, the bare-bones definition of longevity is just “the capability to survive beyond the species-specific average age of death” (De Benedictis et al., 2005).
But over the years, “longevity”, especially when coupled with “medicine”, has come to mean a softer approach to the pursuit of a long(er) life than *ANTI*-ageing. An approach less antagonistic, that emphasises working WITH the body to support its natural regenerative skills for as long as possible.
Instead of a fight against ageing, which we are still bound to eventually lose, it offers the perspective of embracing the maximal potential of our lifespan. Through e.g., increased research on centenarians, it aims to shed a holistic light on these individuals’ characteristics and strategies. Not only does longevity medicine strive to uncover the hard facts (be they epi/genetic, physiological or metabolic) that potentially contribute to their longer lives, but it also emphasises the softer, but just as crucial, habits that they cultivate. Indeed:
“Experts agree that longevity is a complex trait, controlled by the classical three components that modulate multifactorial phenotypes: genes, environment, and chance. However, in humans, social and cultural habits also contribute to this trait. In fact, history in the broadest sense of the word (encompassing all events that happened in the past), deeply affects the probability of achieving longevity by acting at both the individual and population levels.” (De Benedictis et al., 2005).
This explains the success of the controversial “Blue Zones” concept (Buettner et al., 2008), that champions not just renewed attention towards successful diet or movement practices but also towards community, nature and even spirituality, as crucial aspects to foster a happy and healthy longer life.
Because that’s the point, isn’t it? It’s not worth living to a 100 if you’re sick, bored and lonely ...
And that’s where the concept of “healthspan” comes into play! So, bear with us a little longer on our “ageing” linguistic journey!
Sources and further reading
“What do the terms life expectancy, lifespan, longevity and health span mean?”. Max-Planck Institute for biology of ageing. Online: https://www.age.mpg.de/what-do-the-terms-life-expectancy-lifespan-longevity-and-health-span-mean
De Benedictis G, Franceschi C. "The unusual genetics of human longevity". Sci Aging Knowledge Environ. 2006 Jun 28;2006(10):pe20. doi: 10.1126/sageke.2006.10.pe20. Online: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sageke.2006.10.pe20
Buettner, Dan. The Blue Zone: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest. Washington: National Geographic Books, 2008
Illustration
pixabay & epiAge
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