By Dr. Ashley Riskin, MD

As a physician, I’ve noticed a fascinating shift in my practice. Patients aren’t just asking how to treat illness, they want to know how to delay it. They’re curious about optimizing their health, not just for the next decade, but for the next half-century.

And as a parent in my 40s, I get it. I want to be there, vibrant, engaged, and fully present, for every milestone in my children’s lives.

This growing interest in longevity isn’t just personal; it’s part of a global movement.

Advances in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and genetic research are converging in ways that will help transform how we age.

But longevity isn’t just about adding years to life. It’s about ensuring those extra years are filled with energy, purpose, and good health.

The future of aging is already here

We live in an era of exponential change. Industries like entertainment, transportation, and retail have been completely reshaped by technology, and medicine is changing too.

With AI analyzing vast datasets, CRISPR editing genes, and scientists uncovering the molecular mechanisms of aging, we’re closer than ever to the breakthroughs that could extend human healthspan dramatically.

Consider this: for most of human history, life expectancy hovered around 30 to 40 years. Today, thanks to antibiotics, vaccines, and public health advances, Canadians live well into their 80s.

Some experts believe the first person to reach 150 has already been born.

But here’s the critical question: Do we want to simply exist for 150 years, or do we want to thrive for as many of them as possible?

Lifespan vs. healthspan: the real goal

When I ask patients if they want to live longer, many will hesitate. “Not if I’m frail and dependent,” they say. And they’re right. Longevity without vitality is a hollow victory.

This is where healthspan, the period of life spent in good health, becomes essential. The ideal scenario? A long, active life followed by a rapid decline at the very end. Scientists call this “compressed morbidity,” staying healthy until shortly before death.

The 4 pillars of healthspan

To extend healthspan, we must focus on four key areas:

• Cognitive vitality – Memory, focus, and mental sharpness don’t have to decline with age. Research shows that lifelong learning, social engagement, and targeted nutrition (like Omega-3s and flavonoids) protect the brain.
• Physical resilience – Muscle mass and bone density naturally decline after 30, but strength training, protein intake, and mobility exercises can slow, or even reverse, this process.
• Emotional well-being – Chronic stress accelerates aging. Mindfulness, strong social ties, and resilience-building practices (like gratitude journaling) help buffer against its effects.
• Purpose and connection – Studies of Blue Zones (regions with the most centenarians) reveal that a strong sense of community and purpose is as critical as diet or exercise.

How do we actually extend healthspan?

Since we can’t run 100-year human trials, researchers rely on three key sources for longevity insights:

Lessons from centenarians

About 0.4% of the population lives past 100, and they share fascinating traits:

• Delayed disease – Many don’t develop chronic illnesses (like heart disease or Alzheimer’s) until their 90s, decades later than average.
• Protective genes – Certain genetic variants (like those linked to cholesterol metabolism) appear to shield them from age-related decline.
• Lifestyle habits – While genes help, most centenarians also eat whole foods, stay active, and maintain strong social bonds.

Clues from nature

Animal studies reveal universal longevity mechanisms:

• Caloric restriction – In species from worms to monkeys, reducing calories (not nutrition) extends lifespan by up to 50%.
• Rapamycin and Metformin – These drugs that mimic fasting effects are being studied for anti-aging potential.
• Cold exposure – Research on cold-water swimmers suggests brief stress (like cold showers) may activate cellular repair pathways.

Cutting-edge science

Recent discoveries are rewriting our understanding of aging:

• Autophagy – The body’s “cellular cleanup” process, triggered by fasting, removes damaged cells linked to cancer and neurodegeneration.
• Senolytics – Drugs that clear out senescent cells (zombie cells that accelerate aging) have reversed aging in mice, human trials are underway.
• Epigenetics – Your lifestyle (diet, exercise, stress) can turn genes on/off, influencing how quickly you age. 

A practical longevity plan

You don’t need experimental drugs to start optimizing healthspan. Here’s what works today:

Eat for longevity

• Prioritize protein – After 50, muscle loss accelerates. Aim for 1.6g of protein per kg of body weight daily (e.g., 100g for a 150lb person).
• Intermittent fasting – A 12 to 16 hour overnight fast boosts autophagy and metabolic health.
• Mediterranean diet – Rich in olive oil, nuts, and fatty fish, it’s linked to longer telomeres (a marker of cellular aging).

Move like your life depends on it

• Strength training – The single best way to combat sarcopenia (muscle loss). Aim for 2 to 3 sessions weekly.
• Zone 2 cardio – Moderate-intensity exercise (like brisk walking) improves mitochondrial function, a key factor in aging.
• Balance work – Yoga and tai chi reduce fall risk, a major cause of disability in older adults.

Optimize sleep and recovery

• Deep sleep – Critical for memory consolidation and cellular repair. Prioritize 7 to 9 hours nightly.
• Stress management – Chronic cortisol accelerates aging. Try meditation, breathwork, or nature therapy.

Cultivate purpose

• Volunteer – Studies show altruism lowers inflammation and extends lifespan.
• Lifelong learning – Taking up new hobbies (like learning a language) builds cognitive reserve.

The ethical dilemma of longevity

As exciting as these advances are, they raise new and difficult social questions:

• Who gets access? – Will longevity treatments be available only to the wealthy?
• Overpopulation – If people live decades longer, how do we sustain resources?
• Purpose in later life – What does a fulfilling 120-year life look like?

These aren’t just scientific challenges to be addressed, they’re societal ones too.

The bottom line

Longevity science isn’t about chasing immortality. It’s about giving people more good years, free from chronic disease, disability, and decline. And while we wait for breakthroughs like senolytics or gene therapy, we already have proven tools: nutrition, movement, sleep, and connection.

The future of aging isn’t a distant dream. It’s being written today in labs, clinics, and the daily choices we make. And for those of us who want to see our grandchildren grow up, travel well into our 80s, or simply enjoy life without pills and pain, that future can’t come soon enough.

Dr. Ashley Riskin, MD, is clinical co-director and co-founder of Connect Health Centre for Integrative and Functional Medicine.

connecthealthcare.ca