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Many have likely heard the term "lifespan" and know it refers to how long you live. However, you may not have heard of a "health span." While these two terms might seem similar, they also possess several key differences. Both, however, are essential to a long, healthy life.
Curious about how these two words impact your life? Click through now to find out more.
Your lifespan is the time between when you're born and when you die. More generally, a lifespan is an unknown number that is often estimated based on the longest-lived organism in that species known to date.
As of 2022, men, on average, lived 74.8 years, and women, 80.2 years. It's suggested that these results might link gender and longevity.
Health span is different from lifespan. It is a new concept for many but refers to how many healthy, disease-free years you have.
Lifespan and health span do influence one another, but as mentioned, they aren't the same thing. It's easiest to think of quality versus quantity. While your lifespan is the number of years you will live, your health span is the quality of those years.
If throughout your life you maintain a great health span, then it can positively impact your lifespan. If, however, you have poor health, it can absolutely shorten your lifespan.
Chronic diseases or chronic illnesses, which are lifelong diseases or non-communicable diseases, cause 34% of deaths worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In other words, one in three people worldwide die due to chronic illnesses that could have possibly been prevented.
Genetics can play a role in health alongside other factors such as lifestyle, environment, and personal choices.
While 10% to 25% of our health is linked to genetics, the majority is dictated by our daily habits and lifestyle choices.
There is definitely a gap between the average health span and the average lifespan. Americans are living longer than they did in 1950, a whopping 26 years longer. However, due to the increased incidence of chronic disease, their quality of life has decreased.
It's essential to see your doctor regularly in order to improve your health span and increase your lifespan. Doing so can help you identify the following chronic diseases.
Heart disease can include conditions such as coronary artery disease, heart failure, and arrhythmias, which impair heart function.
Cancer can occur when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably and potentially invade nearby tissues or spread to other parts of the body. This can shorten your lifespan and severely impact your health span.
This chronic condition occurs when the body can't properly regulate blood sugar levels due to insufficient insulin (type 1) or insulin resistance (type 2).
Your doctor can help you assess things to identify your risk factors for common conditions like heart disease and diabetes. The following slides contain factors that directly impact both your lifespan and health span.
Lifestyle factors can play a major role in a longer, healthier life. Be sure to get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, exercise, avoid tobacco, and minimize or eliminate alcohol.
Your weight is another factor to pay close attention to. Some weight gain can happen over the years but if you notice it getting to be more than usual, try speaking with a dietitian or doctor.
Blood pressure is another factor that can impact your lifespan and health span in one way or another. As you continue to age, have your blood pressure checked regularly.
Knowing your family's medical history can help prevent many problems. If you're aware that you're predisposed to certain conditions, you can proactively confront them and hopefully prevent them from occurring.
Work with your doctor or medical provider to develop a plan to address any health risks you might have. Include things like an exercise routine, quitting smoking, or even losing weight.
There are several ways you can increase your health span and your lifespan while you're at it. The following slides will share some excellent ideas.
If you want to reduce your chances of type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and cancer, then consider eating a diet like the Mediterranean diet, which is filled with fruits and vegetables. It also encourages you to eat leaner proteins, whole grains, nuts, and legumes.
Traditional Western diets are often filled with processed food and red meats, both of which can be detrimental to your health, lifespan, and health span as they are associated with a 22% higher risk of death.
Exercising is always a good idea. It reduces our risk for chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and even dementia. While you're strengthening your bones and muscles, you're also improving your mental health and mood.
In general, it's a good idea to move more, whatever more means for you. However, people who exercise between 2.6 and 4.5 hours a week have a 40% reduced risk of dying from all causes.
Stress, anxiety, and depression can all shorten our lives. In fact, people who have depression can lose up to 28 years in terms of quality of life.
People with longer health spans tend to get more consistent sleep. It's advised to get about seven to eight hours of sleep a night.
Having strong social interactions or time with friends and acquaintances can help improve your health span and lifespan. Studies show that blood markers for immune response for lonely people are different than for those who are social.
Sources: (National Geographic) (Britannica) (University of Vermont) (NIH)
What is a health span, and is it different from your lifespan?
Maximizing your years
HEALTH Aging
Many have likely heard the term "lifespan" and know it refers to how long you live. However, you may not have heard of a "health span." While these two terms might seem similar, they also possess several key differences. Both, however, are essential to a long, healthy life.
Curious about how these two words impact your life? Click through now to find out more.