Living a long, healthy life, being fit and aging without serious illnesses – a wish of many people. Longevity deals with exactly this topic – growing old healthily. In fact, we have a lot in our own hands to stay mentally and physically fit well into old age. Only about a quarter of life expectancy is genetically determined. Personal lifestyle and environmental influences, on the other hand, have a significantly greater influence on how long we live healthily.
The fact is: people are getting older. The reasons for this global development include modern medical care, new types of medication and technical innovations. There are also more preventive options and increased awareness of a healthier lifestyle, supported by comprehensive care in internal medicine.
This development also brings challenges. Although the lifespan is getting longer, the health span, i.e. the period people remain healthy and free from disease, is not increasing at the same rate. As a result, people may live longer but also experience illness for a longer time.
Medicine is increasingly focused on how to extend the health span to ensure people remain healthy for as long as possible. One key focus is a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and a nutritious diet, supported by targeted approaches in sports medicine.
Longevity does not only mean a long life, but rather staying healthy for longer, maintaining fitness and well-being into old age, and understanding how to achieve this. The later years of life are often associated with physical and mental decline and serious illnesses. One goal of longevity medicine is to align health span with life span based on the latest scientific findings.
Longevity medicine draws on fields such as gerontology, biotechnology, biogerontology and biochemistry, as well as artificial intelligence and advanced diagnostic approaches. Preventive care also plays a key role, as seen in family medicine.
In addition to nutrition and exercise, longevity medicine also addresses other important aspects of life such as sleep, social connections, stress management and mental health. These areas can be further supported through specialised care in psychology.
Longevity is not a one-size-fits-all model – an individual concept can be created for each person depending on their medical history, lifestyle habits and life situation. Professional guidance, for example from an experienced specialist such as Dr. med. Michael Peters, can make a significant difference.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for personalised advice!
Dr. Med. Helena Class – Family medicine
