Could Humans Soon Reach 1,000-Year Lifespans? The Science Behind ‘Longevity Escape Velocity’

Have you ever imagined being 100 years old? How about 1,000? Before you answer, picture a well-lived life free from aging’s infirmities. Everything from cancer to heart disease would be a condition of the past. The downsides to getting older would be eliminated because aging itself would be eliminated. 

Sounds fantastic? More like being a vampire than a human? After all, researchers have tried to reverse aging for decades. The difference is that recent developments in AI and data-driven medicine have supercharged longevity research. So what do experts say about new anti-aging technologies? How long can we lengthen the average lifespan? And what do these developments mean for all us, regardless of our life expectancy expectations?

Living a Long and Healthy Life

A recent skit on Saturday Night Live claimed the same tortoise was owned by both naturalist Charles Darwin and the late animal expert Steve Irwin. While there’s only limited evidence that Darwin ever owned a Galapagos tortoise named Harriet, one fact is indisputable. She was born in 1830 and lived almost 180 years. 

Galapagos tortoise aren’t even the oldest animals on the planet. Because Greenland sharks have proteins in their eyes that form before they are born, scientists are able to carbon date these ancient animals. While the process only delivers a range, not an exact date, one female was estimated to be between 272 and 512 years old. The oldest living vertebrate survives in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic thanks to an extremely slow metabolism. This may be why it ages so slowly. 

Indeed, caloric restriction can have the same effect on mammals. Animals on a calorie-restricted diet actually have longer, healthier lives because their cells live longer than the cells of animals who eat normally. Conversely animals – and especially humans – who eat more than their bodies require are susceptible to a wide variety of life expectancy shortening conditions. Considering how many people overeat, it seems unrealistic that vast numbers of them would voluntarily restrict their calories. Plus, some scientists suspect that humans on such a program would only add a few years to their average life expectancy – the same number of years as a calorie-restricting guinea pig rather than an increase of similar percentages. 

Yet some scientists are even more interested in the naked mole rat than the shark. That’s because while it’s related to the common rat with a four-year average lifespan, the naked mole rat often reaches its 30th birthday. João Pedro de Magalhães is a professor focused on the science of aging at the University of Birmingham in England. Magalhães recently told Scientific American the rodent “is very cancer-resistant. In terms of cancer resistance and probably overall aging as well, it’s their ability to respond to and repair DNA damage.” The same cancer cells that would kill a mouse or rat are easily repaired by the naked mole rat. 

Our cells are like the cells of any other living creature. The cells have lives of their own. Every day, they are born, develop, and die. It’s a crucial, normal process that is responsible for literally everything we do. Yet as we age, this seamless process becomes less seamless. Dead cells aren’t replaced as quickly. Other cells mutate, clustering into tumors, some benign, some cancerous. 

Work being done to reverse aging or even eliminate it has benefits beyond a lengthened life expectancy. Just like the naked mole rat, human cells are excellent cancer fighters. Until we hit age 60 and cell repair becomes less certain and many lose their battle with the disease. That’s why conquering cancer is an important component of anti-aging research.

Even as cutting edge technologies drive research, scientists are also looking at older drugs in a new way. For example, rapamycin which was cultivated from an Easter Island  bacterium in the 1960s has been studied for its anti-cancer properties, among other benefits. However, recent research reveals that it could actually reverse aging because it targets the signaling responsible for accelerated cellular deaths and mutations that occur with senior adults. 

Proven Lifespan Lengtheners

You don’t need to be a doctor or a scientist to actively lengthen your life expectancy. That’s because there are proven ways to increase your biological age. This is the age of your cells, not your chronological age. While you can’t do anything about your birthday, you can lower your biological age and even reverse aging. 

Start by eating a plant-based diet that’s focused on colorful veggies, lean protein like fish, and chicken along with legumes, whole grains, fruit, and nuts. Avoid as much added sugar, salt, and processed foods as possible. Exercise as intensely as you can five times a week for at least 30 minutes a day. Get plenty of sleep. Reduce your stress. 

These are simple solutions that require a fair amount of self discipline. Fortunately, you don’t have to do it alone. That’s because it’s not about living to 1,000 but rather living your best life in the present. Fortunately, technologies like recent advances in at-home testing already exist to help you do just that.  Without having to go to a doctor’s office, you can discover everything from your hormone levels to inflammation markers – hidden cancer risks that are revealed in your blood. 

Start by taking a simple, at-home blood test. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for a similar test, you can order Kyla’s for just $99. This cost may even be covered by insurance. Online, you’ll do a brief quiz so you can find the right testing kit. A few days after ordering, you’ll get a kit along with instructions for simple sample collection. After collecting a few drops of blood, mail it back to our labs postage free. 

You’ll soon learn if you have any underlying conditions that are a cause for concern. Along with inflammation markers, you see if your heart, liver, and kidney health is optimal. You learn about your hormone and vitamin levels. If you’re concerned about your brain health, some of the test results are focused on cognitive function.

When you download the Kyla app, you’ll be able to track your progress. Plus, you’ll gain access to a novel feature that leverages your personalized test results with data driven analytics to reveal your expected life expectancy. You’ll even be able to consult with a Kyla doctor so you lengthen your longevity. Remember, if you truly want to reverse aging,  it’s important to work with a doctor who will help you develop a program with clear, achievable goals. There’s even a graph to help you visualize your progress as you increase your biological age.

A New Approach 

Despite numerous advances and research into how to reverse aging over the years, most scientists viewed the human body as if it was a car. No matter how well cared for, vehicles deteriorate. After 20 or 30 years, most cars are headed to the scrap heap. This “wear-and-tear” theory of aging holds that the abuse our bodies suffer causes them to eventually break down – just like a car. Just as the various parts of an automobile eventually fail, it’s only a matter of time before our cells fail as well. The difference is that the human body is a living, changing organism. The way cars fall apart is more like a hardware problem – like the ways computers wear out. Eliminating cellular deterioration is a software fix. 

When asked if they want to live to be 100, people often think of their parents or grandparents. They remember how their loved ones’ final years were spent in the grip of a horrific disease. This is why many in the field are focused on healthspan, not lifespan. Healthspan is the number of healthy years of life you have to look forward to. Much of the work being done today is designed to reduce or eliminate diseases that end life. This is why researchers often believe that in a few decades humans could achieve Longevity Escape Velocity. 

When a rocket is launched into space, it has to reach a certain speed to overcome gravitational forces. This is escape velocity. Longevity or age escape velocity is similar. The idea is to cure conditions and diseases that reduce lifespan so that more than a year of life is added for every year lived.

The Dublin Longevity Declaration is a statement by hundreds of scientists and researchers dedicated to achieving this goal. Their ideal is not to produce thousand-year old humans but rather to reduce the trillions of dollars in health care costs and millions of lives lost to debilitating disease. As the group notes on its website, “Achieving much better control of aging would not mean immortality, of course. Nevertheless, it would dramatically change the world we live in and how we live in it.  Life quality may expand, fear of loss of independence may diminish and, over time, the fabric of our world may radically improve.” If you want to improve your quality of life and lengthen your lifespan, then download the Kyla app today!

Sources:

1. Ibrahim, Nur. “Did Charles Darwin and Steve Irwin Own the Same Tortoise?,” Snopes. December 10, 2023. https://www.snopes.com/articles/465740/harriet-charles-darwin-steve-irwin/ 
2. “How long do Greenland sharks live?”National Ocean Service. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/greenland-shark.html
3. Gifford, Bill. “How Old Can Humans Get?” Scientific American. July 31, 2023. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-old-can-humans-get/
4. “Can humans live for 1,000 years or be immortal?,” The Economic Times. May 29, 2024.  https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/can-humans-live-for-1000-years-or-be-immortal-longevity-escape-velocity-explains-this-process-here-are-details/articleshow/110539115.cms?from=mdr
5. The New Frontier: Human Efforts and Breakthroughs in the Science of Longevity and Age-Defying Research,” The Yale Ledger. February 4, 2024. https://campuspress.yale.edu/ledger/the-new-frontier-human-efforts-and-breakthroughs-in-the-science-of-longevity-and-age-defying-research/
6. “Dublin Longevity Declaration,” https://dublinlongevitydeclaration.org
7. Manning, Anne J.  “Science is making anti-aging progress. But do we want to live forever?” The Harvard Gazette. May 14, 2024. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/05/science-is-making-anti-aging-progress-but-do-we-want-to-live-forever/
8. Rafael Arrojo e Drigo, PhD quoted in Macmillan,Leigh. “What are you most excited about?” Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. May 16, 2022. https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/vanderbilt-medicine/what-are-you-most-excited-about/ 
9. Willingham, Emily. Humans Could Live up to 150 Years, New Research Suggests,” Scientific American. May 25, 2021. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/humans-could-live-up-to-150-years-new-research-suggests/