Health Longevity Glossary
The longevity movement has been experiencing huge growth over the past few years. Social media is filled with wellness influencers who promote various practices and products intended to increase longevity. Of course, doctors and other medical experts have always considered longevity to be important, but more and more people are now asking their doctors about longevity practices.
There are powerful, evidence-based ways to improve your chances of living a long and healthy life. At the same time, we unfortunately also see a lot of inaccurate or misleading content about longevity. It’s important to critically evaluate any content that you see or read, so you can better navigate making your own personal health decisions.
The first step is to understand the foundational terms related to longevity. There are quite a few technical terms that are commonly used in longevity-related content. We’d like to break down what some of these mean and why they’re important, to help you be better-informed as you navigate your longevity journey.
Lifespan
A person’s lifespan is simply the total number of years that they live.
Looking at life expectancy, which is the average number of years a person is expected to live in a specific population, is a simple way to assess the health status of that population, and can be used to guide public health decisions. However, just looking at life expectancy doesn’t take into account the quality of a person’s life during those years, and so it’s not always the most useful metric to consider on an individual level.
Longevity
So what is longevity? In short, longevity refers to the ability to live to an old age, whereas lifespan refers to the duration of time a person lives..
Overall, lifespan is increasing around much of the world. The average lifespan is significantly longer than it used to be, so we’re now able to experience many extra years of life compared with our ancestors, and have greater longevity
However, the longevity movement isn’t simply about adding more years to life. Most people aren’t interested in spending more years in a nursing home at the end of their life. Instead, they’d like to spend more years living a high-quality life, with the energy and physical ability to do the things that they enjoy. That’s why the modern longevity movement is focused not only on living longer, but on improving the quality of life during those extra years
Healthspan
Instead of lifespan, many people in the longevity movement prefer to optimize their healthy lifespan, also known as healthspan.
What is healthspan? It’s the total number of years that a person lives in good health, free from major chronic diseases or disabilities.
Almost everyone says that they’d like to live longer. However, what they generally mean is that they’d like to live a high-quality life for as long as possible, rather than adding extra years of pain, disability, and dependence. That’s why increasing healthspan is often a better goal than increasing lifespan. When you increase your healthspan, you give yourself more years of life that are enjoyable and fulfilling.
Chronological Age
A person’s chronological age is simply their age in calendar years. This is the primary definition of “aging” that we’re all used to thinking about. Simply by using chronological age, people might consider someone who’s 26 to be “young,” while one who’s 48 is “middle-aged,” and someone who’s 81 is “old.”
However, this doesn’t really take into account the person’s health status. A person who’s 81 years old could be barely able to walk and entirely dependent on others for their daily needs, or they could be independent, vibrant, and active, doing many things that they enjoy.
Chronological age isn’t entirely meaningless, but the longevity movement often doesn’t consider it to be the most important measure of a person’s age, because it doesn’t truly capture a person’s level of health and function.
Biological Age
Instead of chronological age, another way to measure aging is to look at a person’s biological age. What is biological age? It’s a way to measure how old your body is based on your level of biological function and health, rather than based on the calendar.
For some people, biological and chronological age match up closely, but this isn’t always the case. We all know people whose chronological age doesn’t really seem to match up with how they feel and act.
For example, maybe you have an aunt who still enjoys hiking or dancing even though she’s in her 80s. She likely has a biological age much younger than her chronological age. By contrast, maybe one of your friends has already started experiencing issues like arthritis and heart disease, even though he’s only in his early 50s. He likely has a biological age much older than his chronological age.
There are a few different ways of measuring a person’s biological age. Simply looking at how a person feels and functions on a daily basis can give you an estimate, but there are also more precise ways to quantify this using testing. One approach is to use biomarker-based models, looking at physiological function (e.g. lung function, grip strength), biochemical (e.g. blood markers) and molecular (e.g. DNA methylation, telomere length) indicators, then using these composite scores or “aging clocks” to provide a single biological age estimate. By using multiple data points, and using an algorithm, it is possible to estimate the biological age to capture the most complete picture of how your body is functioning.
Many experts feel that biological age is more relevant than chronological age in guiding health treatment decisions. This becomes particularly relevant when a person’s biological age and chronological age are markedly different. Because biological aging affects every body system, knowing how much physical aging a person’s body has experienced gives doctors a sense of what their level of risk is for chronic diseases, and to optimise healthspan by reducing these risk factors and their impact
Aging Biomarkers
In order to track your biological age, testing is important. Of course, testing a person’s chronological age is simple – we just look at a calendar. Testing biological age is a little more complex, but there are ways to do this by testing certain biomarkers.
A biomarker is any type of measurement of the body that can be performed objectively and consistently. Aging biomarkers are those measurements that have been shown in research to be associated with longevity and healthy aging. Many aging biomarkers are measured through blood tests, but doctors also use other types of measurements, such as blood pressure.
One of the most common ways to measure biological age is by using the length of your telomeres, which are the caps on the ends of your chromosomes. Telomeres usually get shorter and shorter as a person ages, and when they get too short, the cell begins experiencing damage and may no longer be able to grow and divide.
While everyone experiences some telomere shortening as they get older, the rate at which this occurs varies between people. Measuring your telomere length can give you a sense of your biological age. For example, if your telomeres are the same length as the average 46-year-old’s, then your biological age would be 46. (This might be older, younger, or the same as your chronological age.)
There are also other biomarkers that are strongly associated with a person’s risk for chronic diseases. For example, chronic inflammation increases the risk of virtually every major disease. By measuring biomarkers that are associated with inflammation, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), we can determine how much inflammation you’re currently experiencing. This empowers you to take steps to reduce inflammation in your body, which then helps to promote healthy aging.
The specific tests that are most useful for you depend on personal factors, like your medical history and family history. It’s important to consult a doctor in order to get a personalized longevity assessment that includes all of the tests that would be most likely to be beneficial for you.
Our NOVI Assessment Max clients receive a consultation with a doctor to determine the right testing plan. After the test results have come in, you’ll have a follow-up visit to make a plan for dealing with any potential threats to your health and maximizing your chances of living a long and healthy life.
Biological Clocks
When people refer to your “biological clock,” they could mean a few different things. In some cases, this term refers to a person’s circadian rhythm. However, in the context of longevity, this term is referring to epigenetic clocks and phenotypic clocks, which are tools for estimating biological age.
The circadian rhythm is your body’s alignment with the day/night cycle. Many different body functions are affected by the time of day. Sleep is the most obvious manifestation of the circadian rhythm – we feel tired at night and awake during the day. However, sleep is not the only function that’s affected by the circadian rhythm. Hormone levels, digestion, nervous system function, blood pressure, and body temperature all vary according to the time of day.
Epigenetic clocks are mathematical models that estimate biological age by analyzing DNA methylation levels in specific sites in your genes, to determine how fast your body is aging. This requires specialized tests that are not widely available, and tends to be costly.
Phenotypic clocks are also mathematical models, but they use measurable clinical and physiological biomarkers, such as blood test results and physical measurements, to estimate biological age. This is a more practical approach in clinical settings to estimate biological age.
Preventive Health
Preventive healthcare seeks to use proactive health strategies to reduce a person’s disease risk before they develop any symptoms. Longevity medicine is heavily focused on preventive healthcare.
Contrast this with curative healthcare, which is currently the focus of much of the healthcare system. Curative healthcare involves going to the doctor after developing symptoms of a health problem. The goal is to find out what’s wrong and treat it. Curative healthcare is certainly important, and it can even save lives at times.
However, if you’re interested in longevity, preventive healthcare is key. This involves going to the doctor when you feel well. You’ll receive regular assessments of how your body is functioning, which generally includes blood tests, imaging, and potentially other types of testing. This can detect early signs of potential threats to your health, and can determine whether you’re at an increased risk for developing any particular health problems.
Based on the results of the tests, you can respond to any potential concerns before health issues actually develop. This could involve changing your diet, modifying aspects of your lifestyle (such as exercise and sleep), and sometimes taking supplements and/or medications. By reducing your risk of serious health issues, preventive healthcare helps you to achieve the longest possible healthspan.
All-Cause Mortality
Mortality is the rate of death in a given population. All-cause mortality is simply the total rate of death in the population, without regard to what caused each death.
By contrast, cause-specific mortality looks only at specific causes of death. For example, cancer-specific mortality looks only at deaths due to cancer, rather than at deaths due to all causes. Research sometimes gets more specific – for example, a study might investigate breast cancer-specific mortality or prostate cancer-specific mortality.
It’s generally important for longevity research to focus on all-cause mortality, rather than on cause-specific mortality. In some cases, the same data set may produce very different results by looking at mortality in different ways. This is because interventions might reduce the risk of death from one cause, while increasing the risk of death from a different cause.
In general, it’s all-cause mortality that most people are concerned about. Focusing only on cause-specific mortality can cause a research study to miss the overall picture. This is definitely something to be aware of when you’re looking at research studies. If a study reports the effects of a treatment (whether it’s a medication, a supplement, or even a lifestyle change) only on cause-specific mortality and not on all-cause mortality, that’s not really enough information to evaluate whether that treatment is beneficial.
Some lifestyle changes, such as getting plenty of exercise and high-quality sleep, have been shown in many studies to reduce all-cause mortality. These are evidence-based ways to improve your longevity.
Healthy Aging
Healthy aging means maintaining your well-being as you grow older. This includes all aspects of your well-being – physical, mental, emotional, and social.
It’s easy to get narrowly focused on physical health, because it’s often the easiest to measure. Some longevity medicine practitioners fall into this trap as well, endlessly measuring physical health markers while completely ignoring other aspects of health. However, true well-being requires considering your mental, emotional, and social health as well, not just the physical.
An important part of healthy aging is resilience, which is the ability to cope with challenges. Any life is going to come with challenges, but being more resilient can help you to manage these. Rather than trying to avoid all challenges, focusing on being able to cope with them is key.
Healthy aging allows you to maintain independence for a longer period of time. While there’s nothing wrong with accepting care when you need it, most people would like to be able to manage their own daily lives without depending on outside help. This is a key part of healthspan.
Modern longevity medicine focuses on promoting healthy aging. Preventive care is a huge part of this, although curative care may also be necessary when health concerns do arise.
Why These Terms Matter
Understanding these longevity terms empowers you to be involved in managing your health with purpose.
By learning what various longevity metrics mean, you’ll gain a more accurate picture of your own health and what potential health risks you may face. You’ll be prepared to make evidence-based and sustainable lifestyle choices to help you maximize your healthspan. In consultation with your doctor, you’ll make decisions about whether supplements or medications would be likely to benefit your longevity.
You’ll also be able to assess any longevity-related information you come across. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of inaccurate information floating around on social media, and some of it can even be dangerous. By gaining a better understanding of the science behind the longevity movement, you’re empowering yourself to take control of your own health.
Empowering You to Maximize Your Longevity
If you’re interested in longevity, a personalized testing plan is essential. You’ll also need to consult with a doctor to develop a plan to address any potential risks and maximize your health both now and in the future.
Our NOVI Assessment Max clients receive a comprehensive testing panel, giving them a complete picture of their health. Our doctors will meet with you before and after your testing, and will help you formulate a plan to respond to any issues and maximize your health. A structured coaching plan provides additional support for your evidence-based and sustainable lifestyle plan.