If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, what is longevity worth?
5 mins to read
June 22, 2023
Longevity medicines aim to prevent age-related frailty and illnesses, extending the period of our lives that we spend in relatively good health. If these medicines can help keep a person strong and healthy in our 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s even…. What is that worth? How will that affect families and communities? What will it mean for our health care system and our economy?
As an older mother (I was 40 when my son was born), healthy aging is often on my mind. I want to see my little boy grow up. I want to help him get safely through adolescence, his first heartbreak, his first real job. I want to be there when he makes vows and plays with any children he might welcome into his life. I want to see the grown-up my little boy will choose to become.
And, as much as I want to see my son’s future, I also want to participate. I want to be healthy, strong, and mentally fit so that I can help him and not be a worry or a burden on him.
I know I need to eat right, exercise regularly, sleep, etc. But I also know that may not be enough. My metabolism is slowing, and my T-cells are getting tired, and none of my cells are replicating as well as they used to. Despite all my best efforts, I am more at risk of illness and injury every day.
I joined Cambrian Bio because brilliant scientists are aggressively pursuing cutting-edge medicines that maintain the body’s resilience through aging and prevent illnesses that take advantage of frailty. I am excited by the science and optimistic about the potential for the medicines.
I’m starting this blog because aging isn’t just happening to me. In 2020, our world crossed a threshold - the number of people older than 60 outnumbered those under 5. And the trend is continuing. Even without advances in medicine, the number of individuals over age 60 is expected to double by 2030 and triple over the next two and a half decades.
For better or worse, this is not an individual activity. We age in communities and our communities are aging. How our communities will adapt to this demographic shift will in large part depend on how healthy and active the 60+ individuals can remain.
An Ounce of Longevity is devoted to exploring the policy implications of healthy longevity medicines. Where the possibilities will lead to, where the challenges exist, and everything in between. We’ll talk a little about the science, but we’ll go beyond that to explore what the success of this field might mean for families, communities, societies, and economies.
I hope you’ll be part of the conversation.