The longevity paradox: Modern medicine and incurable diseases
Published: 03:10 PM,Oct 24,2024 | EDITED : 07:10 PM,Oct 24,2024
Thanks to significant advances in medical science, humans are now living much longer than they did just a century ago. In the early 1900s, the average life expectancy in many countries was around 40 to 50 years.
Not so long ago I was sitting with two people, both about my age, in a UK garage waiting for our cars to be repaired. We began to talk about our various ailments such as cancer, heart failure, problems with balance etc.
The usual topics of conversation for people of our age. Then one of them said, “I don’t think our bodies were built to live this long.” It was a good point. We all know that the cars we drive will need more repairs as they get older and if we drive them for long enough they will eventually end up on the scrap heap. Most cars aren’t built to last 80 years. It’s the same with our bodies. They also, like cars, face inevitable wear and tear and perhaps they also aren’t necessarily built to live for 70 to 90 years. So whilst longevity is something to celebrate aging brings with it its own problems.
Thanks to significant advances in medical science, humans are now living much longer than they did just a century ago. In the early 1900s, the average life expectancy in many countries was around 40 to 50 years. Today, in most developed nations, it is closer to 80 years with some countries exceeding that. However, this increased longevity has also led to a rise in illnesses with no cure, one of the most devastating being dementia. Dementia isn’t a single illness but a broad term for a range of neurological disorders that can cause memory loss, difficulty with language, impaired problem-solving, and even physical disabilities such as balance issues.
While Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form, other types like vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia are also prevalent, with rarer forms linked to other diseases. According to the World Health Organisation, over 50 million people worldwide currently have dementia and an estimated 10 million new cases emerge each year. Countries with the longest life expectancies, such as Japan, Italy, and Germany, are seeing a disproportionate rise in dementia cases, placing immense strain on their healthcare systems. Often termed “super-aged” societies, these nations are at the forefront of grappling with this challenge. Alzheimer’s, which affects one in ten people aged 65 and over, can even strike earlier—5% to 10% of cases occur in people under 65, with some showing symptoms as early as in their 40s. Dementia’s impact extends beyond the patient to their entire family, often causing profound emotional and psychological distress for caregivers.
The personality changes that accompany the disease are particularly heartbreaking. As one wife expressed, “Watching him fade away in front of my eyes made my heart break every time I saw him.” Dementia not only robs a person of their ability to function day-to-day but also fundamentally alters who they are. For many this slow disappearance of a loved one can be more emotionally painful than death itself. With death there is finality and, with time, some level of acceptance can be reached. But with dementia there is a continual sense of loss as the loved one fades away, leaving a stranger in their place.The complexity of the human brain itself further complicates the search for a cure. While medications exist that can temporarily alleviate symptoms, no treatment has been found to date which can stop or reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s. Research continues in the hope of developing preventative drugs but like other complex diseases of the brain such as multiple sclerosis, finding an effective treatment or cure may take many more years.
The usual topics of conversation for people of our age. Then one of them said, “I don’t think our bodies were built to live this long.” It was a good point. We all know that the cars we drive will need more repairs as they get older and if we drive them for long enough they will eventually end up on the scrap heap. Most cars aren’t built to last 80 years. It’s the same with our bodies. They also, like cars, face inevitable wear and tear and perhaps they also aren’t necessarily built to live for 70 to 90 years. So whilst longevity is something to celebrate aging brings with it its own problems.
Thanks to significant advances in medical science, humans are now living much longer than they did just a century ago. In the early 1900s, the average life expectancy in many countries was around 40 to 50 years. Today, in most developed nations, it is closer to 80 years with some countries exceeding that. However, this increased longevity has also led to a rise in illnesses with no cure, one of the most devastating being dementia. Dementia isn’t a single illness but a broad term for a range of neurological disorders that can cause memory loss, difficulty with language, impaired problem-solving, and even physical disabilities such as balance issues.
While Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form, other types like vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia are also prevalent, with rarer forms linked to other diseases. According to the World Health Organisation, over 50 million people worldwide currently have dementia and an estimated 10 million new cases emerge each year. Countries with the longest life expectancies, such as Japan, Italy, and Germany, are seeing a disproportionate rise in dementia cases, placing immense strain on their healthcare systems. Often termed “super-aged” societies, these nations are at the forefront of grappling with this challenge. Alzheimer’s, which affects one in ten people aged 65 and over, can even strike earlier—5% to 10% of cases occur in people under 65, with some showing symptoms as early as in their 40s. Dementia’s impact extends beyond the patient to their entire family, often causing profound emotional and psychological distress for caregivers.
The personality changes that accompany the disease are particularly heartbreaking. As one wife expressed, “Watching him fade away in front of my eyes made my heart break every time I saw him.” Dementia not only robs a person of their ability to function day-to-day but also fundamentally alters who they are. For many this slow disappearance of a loved one can be more emotionally painful than death itself. With death there is finality and, with time, some level of acceptance can be reached. But with dementia there is a continual sense of loss as the loved one fades away, leaving a stranger in their place.The complexity of the human brain itself further complicates the search for a cure. While medications exist that can temporarily alleviate symptoms, no treatment has been found to date which can stop or reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s. Research continues in the hope of developing preventative drugs but like other complex diseases of the brain such as multiple sclerosis, finding an effective treatment or cure may take many more years.