Have Humans Reached Their Lifespan Potential?

An article in the journal, Science, reports on a study that found the death rate of seniors “abruptly slows around 80 years old and then plateaus at 105 years old.” Researchers have interpreted this to mean that humans are not close to the biological limit on how long they can live. Up to now, a 2016 study from the Elbert Einstein College of Medicine suggested that the human maximum lifespan was about 115 years.

The data for the study involved looking at the records of 3,836 Italians who had reached the age of 105 years old in 2009 to 2015. Researchers then examined mortality rates for persons born in 1896 to 1910. They discovered patterns when death rates seemed to naturally ebb and flow such as go up in a person's thirties and drastically increase when people reach their seventies and eighties. 

While the study “doesn't explain why death rates plateau at 105 years old, one possibility is that some people have genes that make them stronger than others, while some have genes that make them frailer.” In essence, the more resilient your genes are, the better your chances are for a long life. Elisabetta Barbi, a demographer at the University of Rome and one of the study’s researchers, states if there is a fixed biological limit, we are not close to it. Kenneth Wachter, a co-author of the study and a demographer at the University of California, Berkeley, explains that, "The plateau is sinking over time. We're not approaching any maximum lifespan for humans yet." 

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At MorningStar of Fountain Hills, we exemplify the very best in senior care with our unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve…all of which contributes to creating a true home for residents amid a beautiful, serene setting. Please call to schedule a visit to see firsthand the finest assisted living in the Fountain Hills area.

Source: usnews.com/news/health-care-news/articles/2018-06-29/study-humans-have-not-reached-maximum-lifespan-yet