Substantial health and economic returns from delayed aging may warrant a new focus for medical research.

ABSTRACT: Recent scientific advances suggest that slowing the aging process (senescence) is now a realistic goal. Yet most medical research remains focused on combating individual diseases. Using the Future Elderly Model--a microsimulation of the future health and spending of older Americans--we compared optimistic "disease specific" scenarios with a hypothetical "delayed aging" scenario in terms of the scenarios' impact on longevity, disability, and major entitlement program costs. Delayed aging could increase life expectancy by an additional 2.2 years, most of which would be spent in good health. The economic value of delayed aging is estimated to be $7.1 trillion over fifty years. In contrast, addressing heart disease and cancer separately would yield diminishing improvements in health and longev

SUBMITTER: Goldman DP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3938188 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature