New studies reveal limits to human lifespan and health risks of aging

A study published in *Nature Communications* examined the “tempo of ageing” in cohorts from the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia. By tracking daily steps and blood‑cell changes, researchers estimated that the natural upper limit of human lifespan is between 120 and 150 years, after which the body’s resilience collapses.

Research in *The Lancet Public Health* found that while life expectancy has risen, the proportion of years lived in poor health has also grown. In 2023, people worldwide spent an average of 14.5 % of their lives in compromised health, with the highest shares in high‑income nations such as the United States, Australia and Canada.

A separate longitudinal analysis of about 1,700 adults (average age 53 at baseline) linked frequent television viewing in mid‑life to smaller volumes in brain regions responsible for memory, decision‑making and visual processing, as well as greater white‑matter damage—factors associated with higher dementia risk. The effect was specific to TV watching and not explained solely by overall sedentary time.

Additional health‑related research highlighted early non‑cognitive signs of dementia that can appear 15–20 years before cognitive decline, sex‑based differences in drug efficacy, and a shift in medical framing of obesity from a lifestyle issue to a complex chronic disease.