Building A Solid Health Plan For Your Healthspan

Longevity is not about how long you can keep alive, but more importantly how healthy you can remain as you age. In other words, health span rather than lifespan.Dan Buettner’s Live to 100 docuseries on Netflix points out: “The same things that help us live a long and healthy life are the things that make life worth living.”

Living Better For Longer

The consistencies in Buettner’s explanation for why inhabitants of Blue Zones continue to live longer are intricately woven into the culture of the people of these areas. Families and communities are tight, they eat exceptionally well, they enjoy an active, movement-centered lifestyle, and they maintain a strong sense of meaning, purpose, and faith. 

“Only about 20% of how long you live is dictated by your genes. The other 80% is something else, and a lot of what produces healthy longevity surprises people. People in the Blue Zones are achieving an extra 10 years without disease, and it costs them nothing. Their journey to a healthy age 100 is joyous,” Buettner tells TODAY.com. “In fact, there’s about an 80% overlap where what drives longevity also drives happiness.”

What does living longer look like for you?

What we can agree on, because the statistics aren’t lying, is that, despite the rise in diseases and lifestyle-related health problems, we’re all living longer, albeit not necessarily healthier. With modern medicine, average global life expectancy has more than doubled over the past 100 years. But the burden of chronic disease has also increased dramatically – millions are living longer with heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.

As awareness grows around the idea that we can avoid growing old chronically ill, the concept of healthspan has gained ground – although even Buettner admits that we most likely won’t find consensus yet among the broader public.

“I have found that most of what people think leads to a long, healthy life is misguided or just plain wrong,” he says, pointing to our obsession with diet plans, gym memberships, and expensive supplements (noticeably absent from the lifestyles of inhabitants of the Blue Zones). “The fact of the matter is that most of us are leaving good years on the table.” 

What’s the (big) deal about aging?

“Age is not a number, it’s an attitude,” is one of the most common quotes around longevity. And, it turns out, there’s ample scientific evidence to support it. Here are just two of the studies:

• Researchers from Yale and Miami University determined that those who saw growing older as something positive lived a whopping seven-and-a-half years longer than those who didn’t.
• Becca Levy at the Yale School of Public Health showed that putting a more positive spin on our general view of aging can make a profound difference in the health of individuals over the age of 65.

But is this enough? It seems not

“People are looking for the magic pill,” says Dr Luigi Ferrucci, scientific director of the US National Institute on Aging, “and the magic pill is already here.”

But pill is the wrong word. Really, it’s what you create for yourself. Your healthspan is in your hands. 

“Death isn’t optional; it’s written into our genes,” Dr. Pinchas Cohen, dean of the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California, told TIME magazine.

Cohen emphasizes that living longer in the future is certainly possible; over the course of the 20th century, human life expectancy rose from around 50 to more than 80. But living forever isn’t. “There’s absolutely no evidence that it’s possible,” Cohen says, “and there’s absolutely no technology right now that even suggests that we’re heading that way.”

So, what does Healthspan entail? What do you have to do each day to improve your chances of growing old well? 

The power is in you

So says Dr Kamlen Pillay, founder of the InUversal Group, is aiming to empower individuals to better understand and manage their own health outcomes.

The company launched the InUWell Institute at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront in 2024 offering walk-in diagnostic and screening services, and even DNA tests. 

“Both patients and practitioners are distancing themselves from a one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare, and transitioning to personalized, proactive, and preventive wellness,” Pillay says.

His goal is to empower the individual to develop their own health self-interest, to plot and plan a healthspan. 

Synchronized Medical Augmented Relational Technology

He believes, at the rate technology, and specifically artificial intelligence, is developing, this will soon become a reality. “We’re on the cusp of a massive shift globally. It has been actively propelled by the COVID-19 pandemic and is fast gaining momentum.”

The user journey will be curated digitally via a smartphone wellness dashboard. It’s a transformative model focused on enabling clients to reach and maintain their optimum state of health and enjoy their full physical, mental, and spiritual potential.

Pillay believes that, while some may believe this concept is futuristic, more people than ever want to walk the wellness path of self-development. By democratizing and making healthcare data and support more accessible, he believes an individual can heavily influence their healthspan.

“Self-development is called self-development because you have to do it yourself,” he adds.

Know your stats

It starts with knowing yourself, and, when it comes to health, this is as much statistical as it is intuitive. It goes beyond knowing your blood pressure, blood sugar, BMI, and heart rate. You need to know more about your body and be sensitive to changes in it.

This involves asking your GP (or other professional) to do some blood tests, then extending this into genetic testing and a good physical examination. You need to be able to track it yourself and keep a record of all your results as you age. 

It’s an integrated picture. The reality is our healthcare outcomes aren’t one or the other. They’re the sum of a whole lot of moving parts.

When it comes to longevity, this includes your physical wellness, as well as cognitive and emotional health, wellbeing, and inner balance (spiritual health), and even aesthetics. 

The microbiome holds one of the keys

One of the most important pillars of longevity is a healthy gut biome. Scientists agree, the 30-odd trillion microbial cells of microbes living in your body may be vital for extending your life.

In the past few years, the words microbiome and gut biome have become more commonplace. You read about the link between the gut biome and illness everywhere.

Why are so many young people getting cancer?

In an article titled Why are so many young people getting cancer? It’s complicated, TIME magazine wrote:

“Cancer is still most commonly diagnosed among people older than 65. In the US, only about 12% of cancers are diagnosed among adults younger than 50, according to ACS data. A woman in the U.S. has about a one in 17 chance of being diagnosed before she turns 50, while a man has about a one in 29 chance, the ACS says. (Women are more likely to be diagnosed, largely because breast cancer is so common.) But those odds are gradually getting worse. In 2019, about 103 cancers were diagnosed among every 100,000 US adults younger than 50, up from about 100 in 2010, according to a 2023 study in JAMA Network Open. That may seem like a small overall increase, but it’s not a good sign – especially since, during the same period of time, incidence rates among older U.S. adults decreased. It’s almost like the curves have reversed themselves,” says Dr. Richard Barakat, director of cancer care at Northwell Health in New York.

“For certain types of cancer, the numbers are especially striking. Colorectal cancer is now diagnosed among young adults almost twice as often as it was in the 1990s, according to one 2022 study, and the JAMA Network Open researchers found that other types of gastrointestinal cancer are also on the rise among this population. Early-onset breast cancer is becoming more common too, with its incidence rising by almost 4% among US women every year from 2016 to 2019, according to a 2024 study. Even lung cancer, a disease typically associated with older cigarette smokers, is now to a surprising degree affecting younger women, even those who have never smoked,” says Dr Matthew Triplette, a pulmonologist at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle.

Cancer is complex

What’s driving these trends? Triplette says he doubts there’s “some new, very dangerous cancer risk factor out there that’s causing tons of excessive cases in younger folks”. Cancer is a complex disease influenced by a mixture of genetics, lifestyle choices, and environmental exposures, so it’s unlikely that there’s a single explanation for the data.

Instead, it’s likely a mix of things. Eating lots of processed foods, not getting enough exercise, and drinking too much alcohol are all risk factors for cancer, and all of those issues are widespread in modern life…

Researchers are also studying the gut microbiome’s role in cancer development. Everything from what you eat to the medications you take can affect the health of your gut microbiome, Barakat says, so it’s feasible that aspects of the modern diet – or the medical system’s over-reliance on antibiotics – could have trickle-down effects. Exposure to pollutants in the environment could play a role, too, Triplette told TIME magazine.

Why you need a healthy biome

The microbiome is important for longevity because it affects multiple aspects of health. Maintaining a diverse and balanced microbiome through lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, and avoiding unnecessary antibiotics is crucial for promoting longevity and overall well-being.

Immune system regulation

The microbiome helps to regulate the immune system, training it to distinguish between harmful pathogens and beneficial microorganisms. A balanced microbiome can thus prevent chronic inflammation and immune-related disorders.

Nutrient metabolism

Gut bacteria help break down and metabolize nutrients from food, such as fiber and complex carbohydrates. This process not only provides energy but also produces metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, that benefit our health and may extend lifespan.

Protection against pathogens

A healthy microbiome can outcompete harmful pathogens, preventing infections and reducing the risk of diseases that can harm longevity, such as gastrointestinal infections and certain chronic conditions.

Brain health

The gut-brain axis, which refers to the bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain, is influenced by the microbiome. A balanced microbiome can support mental well-being, cognitive function, and may even reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases associated with aging.

Metabolic health

Imbalances in the microbiome have been linked to metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. 

Influence on aging processes

Recent research suggests that the microbiome may influence various aspects of aging, including cellular senescence, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Modulating the microbiome through diet, probiotics, or other interventions could potentially slow down age-related processes.

Several signs and symptoms may indicate an unhealthy microbiome. However, because these symptoms can also be related to other health conditions, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional for an accurate diagnosis. 

These are some common signs of an unhealthy microbiome

• Persistent digestive issues, such as bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• New food sensitivities or intolerances
• Frequent infections, especially gastrointestinal or urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Skin conditions such as acne, eczema, or psoriasis
• Anxiety, depression, or mood swings
• Chronic fatigue or low energy levels, despite adequate sleep and nutrition
• Unexplained weight gain or difficulty losing weight, despite efforts to eat healthily and exercise
• Chronic Inflammation

How can you assess the health of your gut biome?

There are a number of methods for testing your microbiome. The tests provide insights into the composition of your gut microbiota, including the types and relative abundance of different bacteria and other microorganisms present in your digestive system. 

Stool analysis

This is one of the most common methods. You collect a stool sample at home and send it to a laboratory for analysis. The laboratory then analyzes the sample to identify the types of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other micro-organisms present in your gut, as well as their relative proportions. Stool analysis can provide valuable information about your gut health, including levels of beneficial bacteria, potential pathogens and markers of inflammation. Speak to your healthcare professional, who can assist you with this.

Microbiome testing kits

Several companies, such as Viome, offer microbiome testing kits for home use. These kits typically involve collecting a stool sample or a swab sample from another area of the body (such as the mouth or skin) and mailing it to the company for analysis. The company then provides you with a detailed report of your microbiome composition, and may offer insights into how your microbiome compares to healthy norms or how it may be influencing your health.

Metagenomic sequencing

This advanced method involves sequencing the genetic material (DNA or RNA) of the microorganisms in your microbiome. This approach provides a comprehensive view of the microbial community, including rare and less-well-characterized species. Metagenomic sequencing can offer detailed information about the functional capabilities of your gut microbiota, such as their ability to metabolize certain nutrients or produce beneficial compounds.

Functional testing

Some tests focus not only on the composition of your microbiome, but also on its functional capacity. These tests may assess factors such as short-chain fatty-acid production, gut barrier integrity, immune-system interactions, and microbial diversity. Functional testing can provide insights into how your microbiome influences various aspects of health.

Before choosing a microbiome testing method, consider factors such as cost, accuracy, the depth of information provided, and whether the results will be actionable or useful in guiding dietary or lifestyle changes. 

It’s also important to interpret the results in consultation with a healthcare provider, who can help you understand the implications for your health and develop a personalized plan to support a healthy microbiome. Functional-medicine doctors or those trained in genetics are best at this.

Telomeres and your brain

Brain health is an important aspect of longevity. Now, unlike your gut biome, it’s much more difficult to work out how your telomeres are deteriorating. But medical science is moving apace in this regard, especially given the rise of age-related dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s diseases.

Telomeres are structures at the ends of chromosomes that protect them from deterioration or fusion with neighboring chromosomes. They consist of repetitive sequences of DNA and associated proteins. One key function of telomeres is to prevent the loss of genetic material during cell division.

During each cell division, telomeres tend to shorten. This shortening is a normal part of the aging process. However, when telomeres become too short, cells can no longer divide properly, leading to cellular senescence or apoptosis (cell death). This process is believed to contribute to the aging of tissues and organs.

While longer telomeres are generally associated with longer lifespans, it’s important to note that telomere length is influenced by both genetic factors and lifestyle choices. Factors such as chronic stress, poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking have been linked to accelerated telomere shortening, while healthy behaviors such as regular exercise, a balanced diet, stress management, and adequate sleep may help to preserve telomere length, and potentially contribute to longevity. There’s also promising research suggesting that hyperbaric oxygen treatments can assist in lengthening telomeres. 

End note

When you start looking at your life in terms of your health span and not just how long you want to live, your longevity plan will be shaped differently. It is critical that. you develop your own personal longevity plan based on data you gather with a properly trained specialist. It is easy to be mislead by all the excitement around longevity currently. The reality is, like anything at life, if you want to succeed you have to be focused and methodical. Importantly, consistent and dedicated to a positive health span outcome.

About this article

This article was first published in Longevity’s annual in print and digital format titled Living Beyond 100.  This is one of many articles that explores how longevity is less about how long you live and more about the length of time you’re healthy – living happier, healthier, and more active as you grow older. You can find a digital copy copy at Zinio. Details are listed below.

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