Humans are near peak life expectancy, study finds
Unless there is a transformative breakthrough in medical science, people on average will reach the age of 87
What happened
Human life expectancy has just about peaked, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Aging, and barring a transformative breakthrough in medical science, people will top out at a maximum average age of around 87 — 90 for women, 84 for men.
Who said what
"We're basically suggesting that as long as we live now is about as long as we're going to live," said the lead study author S. Jay Olshansky, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois Chicago, to The New York Times. "We're squeezing less and less life out of these life-extending technologies."
Life expectancy — an estimate of the average time a baby born in a given year might expect to live — is "one of the world's most important health measures," though an imperfect one, The Associated Press said. It "cannot account for deadly pandemics, miracle cures or other unforeseen developments that might kill or save millions of people."
Some scientists predicted that life expectancy would continue to rise "dramatically" as it had during the 20th century, "spurred on by innovations like water sanitation and antibiotics," the Times said. But Olshansky's study found that even if nobody died before 50, average peak life expectancy would barely rise, because our organs eventually fail.
What next?
Olshansky's "valuable addition to the mortality literature" persuasively showed that "we are reaching a plateau," University of Texas researcher Mark Hayward said to the AP. But some future breakthrough could still change that. Olshansky said the only way to radically increase our longevity would be to slow the aging process, a prospect he is "optimistic" about.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Today's political cartoons - November 2, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - anti-fascism, early voter turnout, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
Nasa mission to probe possibility of life on Europa
Speed Read Exploration of Jupiter's icy moon could reveal how common habitable environments are in the universe
By The Week UK Published
-
Detailed map of fly's brain holds clues to human mind
Speed Read This remarkable fruit fly brain analysis will aid in future human brain research
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Polaris Dawn sets records for private space flight
SpaceX has launched billionaire Jared Isaacman and his crew high above Earth to conduct the first private spacewalk
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Finger-prickin' good: Are simpler blood tests seeing new life years after Theranos' demise?
Today's Big Question One Texas company is working to bring these tests back into the mainstream
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Boeing's Starliner to come home empty
Speed Read Astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore will return on a SpaceX spacecraft in February
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
10 recent scientific breakthroughs
In Depth From cell reparation to monkey communication
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Stonehenge Altar Stone came from Scotland, study finds
Speed Read New analysis says the six-ton megalith actually came from Scotland and not Wales, as previously thought
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Liquid water detected on Mars raises hopes of life
Speed Read A new study suggests huge amounts of water could be trapped beneath the surface of Mars
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published