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In our society, there is a shared obsession with youth; it could be called the culture of youth, focused on how we produce a real slowing down of the aging process. Most of these actions are invasive and dermatocosmetic, such as:
- Plastic surgery
- Liposculpture
- Dermal, subdermal, or subepidermal implants
Why are we concerned with not aging and searching for the fountain of eternal youth?
This is surely a behavior inherited from our century, or perhaps because we have witnessed the ravages of aging in our ancestors. However, we do not want to be worn out physically, mentally, or spiritually, and even less so die prematurely without seeing our goals realized.
Currently, we possess the highest life expectancy in all of humanity, especially since it was impacted by a Galilean known as the Nazarene, who today, after 2000 years, has determined the sequence of this era. Today, our global average lifespan is around 74 years, a bit more or less depending on the country and the stressful conditions of the environment. However, we are called to live 120 years in optimal health.
Nevertheless, mortality in the early stages of life remains a serious issue. It is here that we focus on establishing reliable parameters for living longer, but healthily.
During the second half of the twentieth century, the average increase in life expectancy was 20 years. Several factors have contributed to this increase in longevity, including:
- Advances in medicine
- Improved nutrition
- Better sanitation conditions (Fogel Studies)
These circumstances led to a special situation in population dynamics known as the ‘baby boom’. The factors mentioned, combined with an increase in fertility rates in many Western countries after World War II, have led to a significant increase in the population of over 65 years old. This phenomenon is expected to extend until the year 2030. Moreover, it is estimated that global life expectancy will increase by an average of 10 years by 2050.
At first glance, everything previously mentioned seems to have positive implications. However, this is not entirely the case. It must be considered that elderly people will require more medical care as their age increases. Chronic degenerative diseases have a higher incidence in the older population. Diseases such as:
- Arthritis
- Heart disease
- Cancer
These diseases contribute to global disability and reduce the quality of life. Consequently, there are increases in the healthcare burden. Therefore, necessary actions must be taken to reduce or delay the need for long-term medical care and dependence on the healthcare system.
Data from the United States Census Bureau:
- The proportion of the population aged 65 or older increased by 12.4% in 2000 and will rise to 19.6% by 2030.
- The number of people aged 65 or older grew from 35 million in 2000 to 71 million in 2030.
- The number of people aged 80 or older increased from 9.3 million in 2000 to 19.5 million in 2030.
- In 1996, the most populous states in the United States had the highest number of elderly people. Nine states (California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas) each had more than a million residents aged 65 or older.
- In 1995, 15% of the population in four states was aged 65 or older; Florida had the highest proportion, with 19%.
Our main enemy in aging is time, and we seek solutions against it. Many scientists around the world are focused on this area of medicine: longevity medicine, but with a foundation in nutraceuticals, meaning supplementing nutrients with therapeutic effects. These have become a therapeutic arsenal in medicine as we know it, based on scientific evidence.
