Human beings have been chasing longevity since the days of Herodotus in ancient Greece. What’s changed since then is that living longer is now a reality, driven by a combination of modern medicine, biotechnology, science, and public health. Today’s advances in cardiovascular care, oncology, infectious disease, and metabolic management would have astonished the ancient Greek philosopher known as the Father of History, who chronicled tales of a “fountain of youth” in 450 BCE, and the extended lifespans we enjoy today — 86.5 is the average in top-rated Monaco, 79.5 in the US — would have been unimaginable.
Modern longevity experts want more. Advances in cardiovascular prevention, cancer therapy, infectious disease control, and metabolic management have dramatically reduced early mortality and extended lifespan across populations, but the concept of cognitive longevity is increasingly being added to the human wish list. Not only do humans want to live longer, but we want to do so without the progressive cognitive decline that too often goes hand in hand with aging.