31/01/2024
Over the past decade life expectancy has declined 2.8 years in the United States from 78.9 to 76.1. This trend began well before COVID-19 put its foot to the gas.
More problematic than the decrease in average lifespan is the average duration of our healthspan - the period of life spent in good health, free from the chronic diseases and disabilities of aging.
The average American spends the final 16 years of their existence, what should be their golden years, limping through life and spending their hard earned savings on medical care - the hospital, skilled nursing home, pharmacy, etc.
60% of Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease, the four most prevalent and deadly of which are cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and dementia.
40% are managing multiple chronic conditions, including Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), stroke, kidney disease, and depression. The number rises to 80% in people aged 65 and over. And, if you’ve made it to 80, on average, you have five.
I HATE these stats. No one among us wants this fate. We absolutely, 100% have to get into the driver seat of our gene expression and biological aging. And we can to do it starting today.
We can take charge of our lifespan *and* our healthspan by taking good care of epigenome. By slowing down the biological aging process, through epinutrient-rich foods and time-tested lifestyle practices such as those outlined in the Younger You program, we can slow down and even prevent chronic diseases of aging.
Find out more about how you can extend your healthspan and the latest in longevity and functional medicine by signing up to my newsletter here: https://www.drkarafitzgerald.com/newsletter/
