Longevity – Living Longer, Better

7/9/20257 min read

What's longevity?

You’ve probably noticed the word longevity popping up everywhere lately - in podcasts, on wellness blogs, maybe even in your social media feed. And that might be why you’re here.

But let’s clear something up right away: longevity isn’t some brand-new idea dreamed up by tech billionaires or biohackers (although you will hear a lot from them). Humans have been chasing longer, healthier lives for centuries. The difference today? Medicine and biology are catching up with our curiosity. We can now measure and even tweak the processes that drive aging - things our grandparents couldn’t even imagine.

So this isn’t about chasing immortality. It’s about something far more practical: making the years you already have as vibrant and independent as possible.

Longevity isn’t about adding years at the end of life - it’s about making every year count.

Why Longevity Matters

Living to 90 might sound great, but if the last 15 years are spent battling illness, stuck in doctors’ offices, or losing independence, is that really the goal? It’s funny, though - as our technology advances, various economic, technological, and societal factors also lead us to live longer, but in poor health (let it be processed foods, pollution, lack of movement). That’s where healthspan comes in - the years you live in good health, free from serious disease or disability.

And it’s not just a personal thing. Healthy aging has ripple effects on families, communities, and entire economies. It goes without saying, extending healthy lifespan could slash chronic disease rates, reduce healthcare costs, and keep older adults active contributors to society.

Here’s a jaw-dropping stat: it was calculated that adding just one year of healthy life expectancy in the U.S. could generate $38 trillion in economic value over time (Goldman et al., 2013). There's no doubt this number would be way bigger now.

Lifespan vs. Healthspan

Think of your life like a movie. Lifespan is simply how long the film rolls. Healthspan is whether the scenes are vibrant or if the last act drags on painfully.

The good news? Populations around the world prove it’s possible to stretch both the length and the quality of life. We might find such examples in our surroundings, but the evidence comes from what you’ve already heard as Blue Zones:

Okinawa, Japan - home to some of the longest-living women in the world, many staying active into their 90s (Willcox et al., 2009).
Sardinia, Italy - men here live as long as women, thanks to active lifestyles and strong social bonds.
Loma Linda, California - Seventh-day Adventists outlive the average American by 7–10 years, largely through diet and community.

There are many factors that come into play here, but in reality, it’s the truth many of us know but lack integrating into our daily lives due to various reasons. The key is that we shouldn’t blame ourselves but rather think about what is possible in our particular circumstances. I’ll promise to come back to the Blue Zones in greater depth later in this blog.

The goal isn’t just more years. It’s more good years.

The Science Behind Longevity.

Here’s where biology gets fascinating - and hopeful. Scientists have mapped out the “hallmarks of aging” - the processes that, when they go wrong, lead to decline.

Originally there were nine (López-Otín et al., 2013), but now research counts twelve (López-Otín et al., 2023). Think of them as the main characters in the story of aging:

Your DNA getting damaged.
The protective caps on your chromosomes (telomeres) wearing down.
Mitochondria - your cells’ power plants - losing efficiency.
Stem cells running low.
Chronic inflammation creeping in.

We’ll unpack each of these in our next post. For now, the key takeaway is this: aging isn’t that random - it’s a pattern we can (somewhat) understand, measure, and, in some cases, slow down.

Is Aging a Disease?

David Sinclair in his book Lifespan makes a bold claim: aging should be classified as a disease. Why? Because, in his view, aging has identifiable causes, follows a predictable progression, and leads to other illnesses - much like heart disease or diabetes. If aging were formally recognized as a disease, it could open the door to targeted medical treatments, more funding, and new clinical trials aimed at slowing it down.

But here’s why it’s controversial: many experts argue that aging is a natural, universal process - not a pathological one. They warn that calling it a disease risks medicalizing something that happens to everyone, and it could shift focus away from lifestyle and prevention.

Personally, I see aging as a condition we can improve, not a disease to “cure.” Like gravity, we can’t stop it - but we can change how it affects us. This is why healthspan is such an important term: it reminds us the goal isn’t escaping aging, but living better (and hopefully longer) as we age (Gems & de Magalhães, 2021).

What We Can Do Now

It might surprise you, but some of the most powerful tools for longevity aren’t futuristic - they’re already within reach. And while they sound simple, they’re backed by strong science. We’ll explore each in depth in future posts, but here’s your starting kit:

Move your body daily
Just 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week can cut your risk of early death by up to 35%. Movement improves cardiovascular health, supports brain function, and helps maintain muscle mass - all essential for aging well.
Eat like your future depends on it
Diets like the Mediterranean and Blue Zones patterns - rich in plants, healthy fats, and whole foods - lower heart disease risk and support metabolic health.
Protect your sleep
As Matthew Walker explains in Why We Sleep, good sleep is like “nightly therapy” for your brain and body. It consolidates memory, regulates hormones, and repairs tissues. Chronic sleep loss accelerates many hallmarks of aging.
Manage stress
Chronic stress fuels inflammation and oxidative damage, both of which speed up aging. Mindfulness, breathing exercises, and even daily walks in nature can counteract this effect.
Build strong social ties
Loneliness is as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010). Connection protects mental and physical health.

Of course, I didn’t surprise you - if you are here, you already know it. However, my goal is to unpack it in greater detail and find small actionable steps that can improve each of these areas without having to devote yourself to counting calories, taking exhausting exercise, or saying goodbye to some of the things you love.

Emerging Frontiers

Beyond lifestyle, science is pushing boundaries in ways that seemed like science fiction a decade ago:

NAD+ boosters (like NR - nicotinamide riboside) aim to restore levels of this crucial molecule, supporting energy production and DNA repair. Early studies show promise in metabolic health and resilience to stress (Rajman et al., 2018).
Senolytics are drugs designed to clear “zombie” cells - old, damaged cells that linger and cause inflammation. In mice, removing these cells improves health and extends lifespan.
Epigenetic reprogramming involves “resetting” aspects of a cell’s age without changing its identity. This could eventually repair tissues damaged by aging.

Some (or most) of these approaches aren’t ready for everyday use, but they show where longevity science is heading - and why the next decade will be pivotal.

Myths Worth Dropping

Of course, a topic as popular (and profitable) as longevity attracts myths - and some of them just won’t die. Here are three you should keep in mind:

“It’s all genetic.”
Yes, genetics matter - but lifestyle still shapes 70–80% of your health outcomes (Ruby et al., 2018). You can’t change your DNA, but you can change how it’s expressed.

“One pill will fix everything.”
No supplement replaces movement, good food, and quality sleep. Many promising molecules are still experimental - beware of overhyped products.

“You can deal with aging later.”
Prevention works best when started early. The choices you make in your 30s, 40s, and 50s shape your health in your 70s and beyond.

The Road Ahead

The next decade could bring:

Biological age tests you can take at home to track progress.
Personalized aging plans using your genetics, microbiome, and biomarkers.
Regenerative medicine that repairs or replaces worn-out tissues.

These aren’t just lab dreams - many are in clinical trials now. And here’s the exciting part: we’ll be covering each of these topics in detail on this blog, so you can separate the hype from the real breakthroughs.

The future of aging is here - and the choices you make today decide how you’ll meet it.

Why this blog?

I know it’s quite bold to try to put it in a blog, as most information consumption comes in podcasts or TikTok/Instagram-like formats. However, with tons of information online and a lack of research claims behind it, I want to help myself - and you, my reader - chew it. At the end of the day, it’s us ourselves who need to make a decision on which path to follow and which actions to take, so we can actually make longevity science work for our best interest.

Follow for more, as we decode hallmarks of aging, NAD+, various supplements, and experiments in the field.

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