Extending our lives in a healthy way is the cornerstone of longevity research. We want the longest runway possible while maintainingour physical and mental vibrancy.
In our inaugural DOC Poll, we asked our community of scientists, researchers and leaders to choose which longevity breakthrough feels the most attainable in the next 10 years. Options ranged from slowing the biological clock to restoring organ function and extending healthy lifespan by five or more years. We also invited people to select “none of the above,” and tell us why: What did we miss? What do they believe will be the hallmark of longevity discovery in the next decade?
Overwhelmingly, more than 40 percent voted that we might expect to see a healthy lifespan extended by five years or more. Perhaps this feels like a modest boost of time. But of all the options presented, more than 40 percent saw this as the likeliest, probably because it’s something we can act on already. As one person remarked, “This is the one we as physicians, as well as our patients, have the most agency over.” Another noted that GLP-1s will continue their work on “extending a healthy lifespan.”
The next favored option was “slowing the biological clock,” which nearly one-quarter — 24.3% — of voters picked as their top choice. One called the choice the “most realistic and measurable,” while another noted that 10 years was “too short a timeline to do the others.”
The third place finisher, “none of the above,” drew a number of write-in suggestions from the 21.6% who picked this choice. These included reducing antibiotic resistance and pathogen infections, because of “a warming environment that is a petri dish for dangerous pathogen expansion.” Another thought our timeline was too optimistic, suggesting we may need to wait 20 years for some of these breakthroughs. Finally, last place went to “restoring organ function,” picked by just 10.8% of our voters. Asked why, one respondent noted:, “I know what is in the lab.”
Stay tuned for our next poll coming out soon, with results in our July newsletter.