Lapetus Solutions Advocates for Shift from Disease Focus to Aging and Healthy Life Extension
A recent paper published in Nature Aging, titled “Implausibility of Radical Life Extension in Humans in the 21st Century,” suggests that humanity may be nearing a biological ceiling on life expectancy. The study, led by S. Jay Olshansky from the UIC School of Public Health and Chief Scientist/Co-Founder of Lapetus Solutions Inc., indicates that significant medical advancements have already contributed to substantial increases in life expectancy. Olshansky asserts, “Most older individuals today are living on time manufactured by medicine, but these ‘medical band-aids’ yield fewer additional years, indicating that the period of rapid life expectancy increases is over.” He calls for a transition toward strategies that slow the aging process and enhance healthspan.
The paper’s analysis reveals that, despite advancements in life-extending medical technologies, life expectancy at birth in the longest-living populations has only increased by an average of 6.5 years since 1990. This growth is much lower than earlier forecasts, which suggested that most people born today would live past 100 years. Conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of Hawaii, Harvard, and UCLA, this study contributes to a three-decade debate on the limits of human longevity.
In his 1990 paper “In Search of Methuselah: Estimating the Upper Limits to Human Longevity,” Olshansky predicted a life expectancy ceiling of about 85 years, suggesting that most significant gains had already been realized. This contrasts with other research that anticipated accelerated improvements in life expectancy in the 21st century.
Now, 34 years later, the findings in Nature Aging indicate that life expectancy improvements have slowed, with more individuals facing age-related challenges. The study analyzed data from the eight longest-living countries and Hong Kong, as well as the U.S., which has recently experienced a decline in life expectancy.
Olshansky notes, “Our results overturn the conventional wisdom that the natural longevity endowment for our species is somewhere on the horizon ahead of us… Instead, it’s behind us.” He emphasizes that while modern medicine has made rapid advancements, these have translated into diminishing returns in terms of longevity.
This trend poses challenges for industries that promise extended lifespans, including insurance and wealth management sectors, which often operate under the assumption that clients will live to 100. In a podcast, Olshansky cautioned that many individuals may need to work longer than expected to ensure their financial security for potentially shorter lifespans.
Olshansky and his team argue that while medicine can enhance health and longevity, the focus should shift to improving the quality of life for older adults rather than merely prolonging life. They advocate for greater investment in geroscience—the study of aging biology—believing it holds the key to significant enhancements in healthspan.
Lapetus’ technology aims to provide precise estimates of lifespan and healthspan, empowering older adults to optimize their lives and assist wealth management strategies. Olshansky concluded, “This is a glass ceiling, not a brick wall… We can push through this glass health and longevity ceiling with geroscience and efforts to slow the effects of aging.”
About Lapetus Solutions
Founded in 2015, Lapetus Solutions is an AI-driven technology company based in the U.S. that merges expertise in aging science, public health, and human biology with AI-based facial analytics to revolutionize health intelligence delivery. With over 40 years of combined experience, Lapetus founders have developed patented technology to provide insights into health and life expectancy, with applications in life and health insurance, life settlements, and other financial services. Lapetus Solutions strives to empower healthier, longer lives by leveraging science and technology to enhance customer experience, health, and wellbeing.
