Longevity Is Increasing — But What About Quality of Life?
Global life expectancy has risen from 47 to 73 years over the last seven decades. But does this increase mean more health and well-being?
In Brazil, the average life expectancy is 76 years, according to IBGE. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates Brazilians live only about 65 years free from chronic diseases. This means the last years of life may be marked by health challenges and limitations.
Given this scenario, a crucial question arises: What are we doing today to ensure successful aging, with more health, autonomy, and well-being?
The United Nations declared 2021 to 2030 the Decade of Healthy Aging, emphasizing the importance of the healthspan concept — not just living longer, but living better, preserving cognitive and physical functions for longer.
Aging Process: Natural or Accelerated?
Modern unhealthy lifestyle choices and the rise in chronic diseases reduce healthspan and may accelerate biological aging. On average, people might live 15–20% of their lives without health. Main causes of accelerated aging include:
- Chronic inflammation (“inflammaging”) — a key factor in premature aging.
- Oxidative stress — free radicals from toxins and poor nutrition damage cells and tissues.
- Sarcopenia — age-related muscle mass loss impacts mobility and metabolism.
The Challenge of Chronic Diseases and Frailty
Chronic non-communicable diseases cause most mortality and disability worldwide, accounting for 79% of all years lived with disability. Untreated, they severely impact quality of life and shorten healthspan.
The good news: preventive strategies can delay these processes, help prevent or modulate chronic diseases, and promote healthier, balanced aging. Starting care before senescence ensures better outcomes year by year.
How to Expand Healthspan and Age Well?
Healthy aging pillars include adopting lifelong habits that promote health and well-being. Besides prevention, these pillars encompass a healthy diet, regular exercise, mental health care, healthy environments, and valuing spirituality.
Prevention is among the most effective ways to extend healthspan. Vaccination, regular screenings, and controlling risk factors like diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and high cholesterol are vital to avoid cardiovascular complications and other health issues.
Healthy eating directly impacts longevity and quality of life. A balanced diet rich in antioxidants and proteins preserves muscle mass and reduces chronic inflammation.
Exercise is considered the ultimate medicine for healthy aging. Scientific evidence shows long-term physical training remodels molecular bases of multiple organ systems—cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, neurological, endocrine, and immune. For example, a 12-year cohort study with over 400,000 subjects concluded that just 15 minutes a day or 90 minutes a week of moderate exercise reduces all-cause mortality.
A recent large meta-analysis showed strength training associates with lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, with the best results seen at 60 minutes per week. Moderate exercise, strength training, and interactive sports improve life expectancy.
Mind, Environment, and Spirituality: Are You Taking Care?
Mental health is as important as physical. Depression, anxiety, and social isolation increase risks of neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. Therapy, mindfulness, social support, and pleasurable activities reduce stress and promote emotional well-being—key for healthy aging.
The environment deeply affects healthspan. Access to green spaces and clean air improves mind-body connection and prevents metabolic diseases linked to stress. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health research shows exposure to nature lowers stress and improves cardiovascular health.
Spirituality, regardless of religion, benefits emotional health. Studies find people with strong spiritual connections or life purpose cope better with challenges and have lower depression and anxiety rates. Cultivating reflection, gratitude, and meaningful engagement offers lasting well-being benefits throughout life.
Is Collagen the Longevity Protein?
Collagen loss occurs naturally due to reduced endogenous production and lifestyle factors accelerating collagen fiber degradation. Production declines from about age 25 at roughly 1% per year.
Therefore, supplementing collagen in its most bioavailable form, hydrolyzed peptides, is essential. Beyond improving skin elasticity and firmness, collagen broadly supports individual physiological needs. It aids musculoskeletal modulation and supports cognition and gut microbiota health.
Supplementation aligned with the healthspan concept emerges as a promising way to extend quality life — more years lived with mobility, independence, self-esteem, autonomy, and mental-physical well-being.
Genu-in® Life: High-Purity Bioactive Collagen
Genu-in® Life is a natural, bioactive, high-purity product, developed with rigorous control along its fully traceable production chain. From raw material selection to final processing, it follows sustainability standards and advanced technology, offering safety, transparency, and efficacy to consumers and prescribers.
With over 97% protein content, it includes 18 essential amino acids vital for forming structural proteins. Glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline stand out, making up about 50% of total amino acids — 10 to 20 times higher than other proteins, making it highly efficient in supporting connective tissues.
Living Longer Is Not Enough. We Need to Live Better!
For that, a combination of healthy habits, adequate supplementation, and preventive care is essential.
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Bibliographic References
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Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Heather Eliassen. Time spent in nature can boost physical and mental well-being – 2024. Link: https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/time-spent-in-nature-can-boost-physical-and-mental-well-being/
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