Human Variation And Health Codexery

Life extension

Extending human lifespan through science and medicine.

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The concept of life extension involves prolonging the human lifespan through either gradual medical enhancements or dramatic increases beyond the generally accepted biological ceiling of roughly 125 years.[1] A worldwide industry generating substantial revenue involves the marketing of products claimed to counter aging, including supplements and hormone replacement therapies.[2] Data from a Pew Research survey conducted in spring 2013 indicated that 38% of US adults said they would opt for life-extending treatments, while 56% stated they would not.[3][4]

Quick Facts

Maximum documented human lifespan
122 years 164 days (Jeanne Calment, 1875–1997)
Notable early researchers
Elie Metchnikoff (1845–1916), Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard (1817–1894)

Facts from the source article.

Key facts and history

The extension of life has been a desire of humanity throughout history, from the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh to alchemists and philosophers such as Francis Bacon.[5] The modern period in life extension began at the end of the 19th century, characterized by scientific optimism and therapeutic activism.[5] Nobel Prize winning biologist Elie Metchnikoff and Charles-Édouard Brown-Séquard were among the foremost researchers of life extension at this period.[5] The longest documented human lifespan is 122 years 164 days, the case of Jeanne Calment.[6]

As an organism ages, harm builds up in its macromolecules, cells, tissues, and organs.[7] The maximum lifespan of a species is governed by both its genetically determined rate of aging and external environmental conditions.[8] Biologist Craig Venter launched Human Longevity Inc. in 2014, a firm whose mission involves using genomics and cell therapy to scientifically combat aging.[9]

What the cited sources add

The same survey found that 51% of Americans said radical life extension would be bad for society, while 41% said it would be good.[4] In 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were overheard discussing organ transplants and immortality during a military parade.[10][11] The American Medical Association noted that the US market for anti-aging products, which includes hormone-based treatments, generated roughly $50 billion annually in 2009.[12] A 2013 Pew Research survey revealed that 63% of Americans considered medical advancements that extend life to be generally beneficial.[4]

Putin's interpreter conveyed that through biotechnology, continuous organ transplants could allow people to become progressively younger.[10] By 2012, political parties focused on longevity had been established in Russia, the United States, Israel, and the Netherlands to back research into radical life extension.[13][14]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Life extension" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Can We Live Forever? A Sociological and Moral Inquiry", Anthem Press, 2009, p. 3 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Life extension" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "AMA report questions science behind using hormones as anti-aging treatment", The Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2009; "AMA report questions science behind using hormones as anti-aging treatment", The Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2009; "The extreme arrogance of anti-aging medicine", Biogerontology, April 2009, p. 223–228; "Position statement on human aging", The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, August 2002, p. B292–B297; "Science fact and the SENS agenda. What can we reasonably expect from ageing researc en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Life extension" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Living to 120 and Beyond: Americans' Views on Aging, Medical Advances and Radical Life Extension", Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project, 6 August 2013; "The scientific quest for lasting youth: prospects for curing aging", Rejuvenation Research, October 2014, p. 458–467 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. "Living to 120 and Beyond: Americans' Views on Aging, Medical Advances and Radical Life Extension", Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project, 6 August 2013. facts only, no text reused. pewforum.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Life extension" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "A History of Life-Extensionism in the Twentieth Century", Longevity History, 2014 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Life extension" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Mouse Facts", informatics.jax.org; "What Causes Aging? Damage-Based Theories of Aging", 2014 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Life extension" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The hallmarks of aging", Cell, June 2013, p. 1194–1217; Halliwell B, Gutteridge JMC (2007). Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine. Oxford University Press, USA, ,; "Oxidative and other DNA damages as the basis of aging: a review", Mutation Research, September 1992, p. 305–315 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Life extension" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Aging biology: a new frontier for drug discovery", Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery, March 2012, p. 217–229; "The evolution of late life", Ageing Research Reviews, February 2006, p. 14–32; "Experimental evolution of aging, growth, and reproduction in fruitflies", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, March 2000, p. 3309–3313; "Not your father's planarian: a classic model enters the era of functional genomics", Nature Reviews. Genetics, March 2002, p. 210–219; "Bi-directional conversion in Turri en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Life extension" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Human Longevity Inc., "Human Longevity Inc. (HLI) Launched to Promote Healthy Aging Using Advances in... – SAN DIEGO, March 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --", 4 March 2014 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. "Hot mic catches Xi and Putin discussing organ transplants and immortality", www.bbc.com, 2025-09-03. facts only, no text reused. bbc.com
  11. Wikipedia, "Life extension" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Hot mic picks up Putin and Xi discussing organ transplants and immortality", Reuters, 2025-09-03; "Hot mic catches Xi and Putin discussing organ transplants and immortality", www.bbc.com, 2025-09-03; 中央通訊社, "習近平蒲亭討論器官移植、長生不老 央視直播出去[影] 兩岸", 中央社 CNA, 2025-09-03; Troianovski, "习近平和普京谈及器官移植与"长生不老"", 纽约时报中文网, 2025-09-04 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  12. "AMA report questions science behind using hormones as anti-aging treatment", The Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2009. facts only, no text reused. chicagotribune.com
  13. Wikipedia, "Life extension" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "A Single-Issue Political Party for Longevity Science", Fightaging.org, 2012-07-27 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  14. "A Single-Issue Political Party for Longevity Science", Fightaging.org, 2012-07-27. facts only, no text reused. fightaging.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Life extension (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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