What is the maximum lifespan of humans? Does this figure actually reflect the upper bound of human longevity, or can it be extended? Should it be increased as far as possible?
What will be an ideal response?
The maximum lifespan is the species-specific biological limit to length of life (in years). The oldest verified human age is 122 years. Some scientists believe that 122 years is close to the maximum bound of human longevity, and 85 to 90 years is as much as most humans can expect to live. They point out that gains in average life expectancy are largely the result of reducing health risks in the first 20 or 30 years—especially, the harmful behavioral and environmental conditions linked to poverty, limited education, and weak access to health care. For people age 65 and older, life expectancy has increased very little—only about 5 months—over the past decade. And although the number of centenarians is rising, the odds of becoming a centenarian have been extremely low throughout human history and remain so today—in the U.S. population, just 1.7 for every 10,000 people, with most centenarians dying by age 103. Nevertheless, other researchers remain convinced that we can add to human maximum lifespan. This controversy raises another issue: Should maximum lifespan be increased as far as possible? Many people respond that the important goal is not just quantity of life, but quality—that is, doing everything possible to extend healthy life expectancy. Most experts agree that only after reducing the high rates of preventable illness and disability among low-SES individuals and wiping out age-related diseases should we invest in lengthening the maximum lifespan.
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