Longevity explained

The first step to living longer is simple: don’t die young. A long list of health breakthroughs is on the horizon—and that’s one reason why we are currently on the cusp of a longevity revolution, as I’ve been outlining over the last several weeks. This revolution will mean longer life spans and better quality of living. But only those of us who manage to dodge chronic killers like cancer and heart disease will get to be a part of it.

Three-quarters of all deaths result from the same ten chronic diseases, with cancer alone responsible for 20 percent. The good news is that we’ve made tremendous progress in the fight against cancer, as biopharma continues to pour more money into improving detection and treatment. Indeed, the overall cancer mortality rate is on the decline; over the last 25 years, the death rate has dipped nearly 30%. This, along with the growing trend toward treating aging itself as a disease, makes it even more likely that our average life expectancy will be 100 in the visible future.

Cancers take time to develop in our bodies, so early detection is crucial to winning the fight. When colon cancer is caught early, for instance, the five-year survival rate is over 90%. If it’s already spread to other organs, the survival rate is only 10%.

Prevention can be broken into three categories, with lifestyle changes considered primary prevention. I’ve discussed previously that changing your diet is the first step to living a longer, healthier life – in part because the right diet can help stave off deadly disease. Eating your veggies and downing some Vitamin D supplements are good general tactics in the war against malignant cells. Also, avoid excessive sunbathing to reduce skin cancer risk and avoid smoking to ward off lung cancer.