Healthspan

Definition

Healthspan is the portion of life spent in generally good health, free from major chronic disease, disability, or loss of independence, emphasizing quality of life rather than total years lived. [1]

Early formulations in the successful aging literature framed the goal as maintaining high function until late life, aligning with contemporary healthspan definitions that stress preserved capability. [2]

Relationship to Lifespan

Lifespan measures total years alive, while healthspan ends when frailty, disease, or disability becomes dominant. When healthspan does not keep pace with lifespan, a morbidity gap emerges and late-life morbidity expands. [3]

Why It Matters

Ageing interventions increasingly target healthspan by delaying disease onset and preserving function, but measurement remains challenging because the literature contains many competing definitions and operational metrics. [4]

References

1. Kaeberlein, M. (2018). How healthy is the healthspan concept? GeroScience. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6136295/
2. Rowe, J. W., & Kahn, R. L. (1987). Human aging: usual and successful. Science. https://healthjournalism.org/glossary-terms/healthspan/
3. FoodMed Center. Lifespan vs healthspan: the critical gap in modern aging. https://foodmedcenter.org/lifespan-vs-healthspan-the-critical-gap-in-modern-aging/
4. ResearchBunny. How healthy is the healthspan concept? https://www.researchbunny.com/papers/how-healthy-is-the-healthspan-concept-l4nw