Research reveals interesting facts about the maximum human lifespan

Although human life expectancy is still increasing, it does not mean there is no limit. Experts say that people living over 115 years old are still rare.

Mrs. Helen Reichert, a New York resident, passed away at the age of 109 while still maintaining her love of drinking Budweiser beer and even planning to return to the habit of her youth.

Ms. Reichert's younger brother, Mr. Irving Khan - who holds the record for being the oldest investor on Wall Street (USA) - also passed away at the same age as his sister.

Elderly people at a retirement center in Lens, France. (Photo: AFP/TTXVN).

This is the age at death for the group of 'super elderly' people, who usually live to be between 110 and 115 years old. Most notably, Jeanne Calment, a French woman, is believed to be the only person to live to the age of 122 in 1997, surpassing the 120-year-old threshold.

To gain a deeper understanding of the 'maximum age' of humans and to confirm whether humanity has reached its maximum lifespan or not, a group of mathematicians embarked on research with the belief that the highest life expectancy among the 'super elderly' could be even higher.

In a recent publication in the journal PLOS One, David McCarthy, a professor of risk management at the University of Georgia, hypothesized that people, especially women, could live to be over 122 years old. the coming decades.

According to Professor McCarthy's mathematical analysis models, women born in 1940 in Japan could reach their maximum age of 125 to 130 years, while those born in the US could reach their maximum age. The maximum is about 120 to 125.

Mr. McCarthy emphasized that evidence compiled from mathematical models - built by the research team - shows that the maximum human lifespan is increasing, indicating that humanity's biological limits are not fixed but are increasing day by day. more expanded.

With stable conditions, some people could surpass current longevity records, while emphasizing that maximum lifespan is still on the rise.

Although human lifespan is still increasing, it does not mean there is no limit. Experts say people living over 115 years old are still rare.

In the US, life expectancy is around 76 years old, as younger Americans seem to be more likely to die early. However, research shows that people past the age of 75 often demonstrate resilience and longevity.

Recent trends show that the number of people reaching their 70s, 80s and 90s is increasing compared to previous generations.

Brandon Milholland, a former postdoctoral fellow at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and co-author of a 2016 Nature paper, asserted that the limits of human lifespan have remained largely unchanged since the early 1990s. 1990, with the average maximum age hovering around 115.

Mr. Milholland also does not rule out the possibility that at some point in the future, scientific advances will allow people to reduce their biological age as their lifespan increases (which means getting older but not weakening). ).

However, according to Mr. Milholland, the challenge lies in addressing the root causes of aging rather than just treating its symptoms.

In fact, experts are researching drugs to prolong human life. Researchers are exploring the potential of affordable medicines to extend human lifespan while ensuring biological resilience.

At the same time, advances in understanding the mechanisms that cause degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease may assist in identifying genetic predispositions and factors that may influence the timing of death.

However, the reality that researchers all agree on is that it is difficult to have a general formula to achieve the goal of superior aging control.

Rather, an individual's lifespan is influenced by a myriad of complex and mysterious factors, including genetics, lifestyle, environmental influences, and others.

Northwestern professor Emily Rogalski, a cognitive neuroscientist who specializes in studying the brains of older people, states that there is no general formula that can be applied universally to all individuals to increase longevity while still maintaining longevity. aging is driven by the fact that the factors that determine longevity are diverse and individualized, reflecting the unique interactions of diverse factors in each person's life.