Are We Hitting a Lifespan Ceiling?

It’s a Big Deal: Time, Salon, Smithsonian, and everyone else is discussing this research.

Summary: After significant gains in the 20th century, global improvements in life expectancy have slowed since 1990, according to a study of the world’s longest-lived populations. Despite medical and public health advances, life expectancy has reached a point where further major increases are unlikely without breakthroughs in slowing biological aging.

Key Findings:

• Slowdown in Gains: Life expectancy improvements have decelerated in most countries, with no evidence of “radical life extension” (a 0.3-year annual increase) except in South Korea and Hong Kong.

• Low Odds of Reaching 100: The chance of living to 100 remains low, with only 5.1% of females and 1.8% of males expected to reach that age in high-income countries.

• Mortality Resistance: Achieving a life expectancy of 110 years would require a drastic reduction in mortality, which seems implausible without revolutionary medical advances.

The Bottom Line: The study concludes that, while longevity gains in the 20th century were remarkable, future breakthroughs are essential to push life expectancy beyond current limits.

What Can We Do? 

1. Keep funding hardcore scientific research.

2. Focus on improving  "healthspan"—the years we live in good health.

Go Deeper: Read the complete study in Nature, Implausibility of radical life extension in humans in the twenty-first century.

Eating Less May Lead to a Longer Life, But Not Why You Think So

The Pitch: Severe calorie restriction boosts lifespan, but not for the reasons you think.

Why It Matters:
A study of nearly 1,000 mice found that cutting calories extends life by improving immune health and stress resilience—not just by reducing weight.

Key Findings:

• Longevity benefits: The mice on a 40% calorie-restricted diet lived the longest.

• Not just metabolism: Immune function and resilience mattered more for longevity than weight loss.

• Surprising twist: Mice that lost the most weight actually died younger than those who lost less.

The Bottom Line:
Healthspan (disease-free years) and lifespan aren’t always linked. This study reshapes how scientists view calorie restriction’s role in aging.

Good Deeper: Dietary restriction impacts health and lifespan of genetically diverse mice

Editor’s Note: The easiest way to eat less is to have smaller plates and fill them with non-starchy vegetables, proteins, and complex carbohydrates (in that order). - ASL

What Does Larry Ellison Know?  

The Observation: 80-year-old Oracle founder Larry Ellison looks 30 years younger.

Why It Matters:
Even Bryan Johnson thinks Larry is doing a good job managing his biological aging.

What Larry Says:

Take Aways From the Online Discourse:

• Youthful look: Ellison is being celebrated for looking decades younger.

• Longevity routine: His regimen includes exercise, a strict diet (vegetables, fish, and fruit), and no alcohol.

• Public interest: Some speculate about plastic surgery, but experts say it only plays a small role.

The Bottom Line:
Ellison's disciplined lifestyle highlights the growing trend of anti-aging science and the pursuit of longer, healthier lives.

About Standard Longevity

We collect, analyze, and summarize the most interesting articles, studies, and research in the healthspan, lifespan, and anti-aging world. Know someone who wants to live longer? Forward this email to them!