Human Lifespan

Big, Rapid Gains Made in Human Lifespan: Study

Researchers say 72 is the new 30

Monday, October 15, 2012

Most of the decline in early mortality has occurred in the past century, or four generations, a finding that calls into question traditional theories about aging, the study authors noted.MONDAY, Oct. 15 (HealthDay News) -- It's said that life is short. But people living in developed countries typically survive more than twice as long as their hunter-gatherer ancestors did, making 72 the new 30, according to new research.

"I still can't believe how recent most of the progress is," said Oskar Burger, lead author of a study published online Oct. 15 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

But there's a larger message from the research: Our estimates about the limits of human lifespans may be too low./.../