Question 2 of 433
What is the difference between lifespan and healthspan?
The short answer
Lifespan is how long you live. Healthspan is how long you live well. The gap between them is the real enemy.
The average American now lives to about 79. But a 2024 study in JAMA Network Open estimated that Americans spend roughly 12 of those years in poor health, the largest gap of any country measured.
Think about that. More than a decade of doctor visits, pill organizers, and things you can no longer do. When my patients tell me what they fear, it is almost never death. It is the nursing home. It is not recognizing their daughter. The goal of this book is not only to add years to the end. It is to keep the last decade from being stolen.
Two ways to grow old. The aim is not only a longer line but a line that stays high until near the end. (Illustration, not data.)
Figure from the book · Q2
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
OBSERVATIONAL — Population estimates of healthy years differ from lifespan; no individual forecast.Evidence grade (draft mapping)CObservationalPart 1, Q2 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.