Is research into aging only about living longer?
There are those in Congress who believe aging research is only about living longer, but this is not true except for a few individuals. Most scientists are interested in healthy aging so we need to make it clear that by living healthier we may be able to reduce some of the health care costs associated with age-related disorders. Thus, we need to emphasize that we are not interested in extending longevity per se, with senior citizens experiencing longer periods of degenerative diseases with the associated consequences of becoming impoverished and more dependant on social security support and requiring more health care costs. Instead, we need to focus on improving health-span so our senior citizens will continue to be productive and contributing members of society. The survival curve is clearly becoming increasingly rectangular, with most deaths occurring after 75 years. Despite the aging of the population, few people live past the age of 95 years. This implies that there is a fixed, natu
