In laboratories, it is already possible to slow the accumulation of cellular changes associated with aging in roundworms and mice. In humans, there is still no such link between intervening in the biology of age and actually extending healthy years.
Researchers are increasingly asking whether we should wait for diabetes, heart disease, or cancer to appear separately, or whether we can act on the shared biological processes that underlie many age-related diseases. The goal is not simply to increase lifespan, but to extend the period during which a person remains healthy and active.
Nir Barzilai of the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine emphasizes that aging has its own biology, and it is precisely that biology that sets diseases in motion. Instead of treating each disease separately, medicine could target the shared mechanisms. Daniel Belsky of Columbia University notes that the hypothesis has not yet been tested in humans, although laboratory data and the mobilization of resources give reason to hope for future trials.
Scientists are developing biomarkers of aging — from epigenetic clocks that track chemical marks on DNA to complex "multi-omic" data. These measures could serve as surrogate endpoints in research, but the link between changes in them and an actual reduction in disease incidence has yet to be proven. Clinical trials that could confirm this would require decades of observation.
In parallel, longevity clinics are appearing. In Abu Dhabi, the world's first licensing system for healthy longevity centers was introduced in 2024, and the Institute for Healthy Living became the first officially recognized institution of its kind. Similar programs are also opening in the United States and Singapore. At the same time, experts warn that without strict regulation, the field remains vulnerable to unsubstantiated promises.
The most reliable ways to influence the biology of aging are available today without new drugs. Sleep, physical activity, nutrition, and social connections have already proven capable of adding healthy years. These measures work for most people and do not require visits to specialized clinics.
The attempt to make aging a target of medicine changes the very logic of healthcare: instead of fighting individual diseases, it means working on their common root. For now, this remains a prospect rather than an accomplished fact.
