How long can humans live? Researchers may explain complicated longivity mystery

Human longevity
Human longevity Pixabay

Many experts have claimed that the average life expectancy for a male is 68 years and 4 months and for female, it is 72 years and 8 months. But, a group of international group of researchers have claimed that how long a human can live is indefinite.

Elisabetta Barbi of Sapienza University, Rome, and her co-authors argued about the human longevity concept in their recent study. The researchers used statistics from a group of 3,836 Italians aged 105 and above to state the facts about human life.

The study was published in journal Science, entitled with "The plateau of human mortality: Demography of longevity pioneers." In the research the, the study authors have said that their findings from available demographic sources have shown that "mortality is constant at extreme ages but at levels that decline somewhat across cohorts. Human death rates increase exponentially up to about age 80, then decelerate, and plateau after age 105."

After observing the effects of modern medicines, which is allowing humans to reach their advanced ages and the longevity pattern in animals, researchers have started to speculate that there is no particular limit on human life.

But, there are many experts who also did not approve this finding and said that humans do have a natural limit for their life expectancy. As per the data showed by The Statistics Portal, the life expectancy in North America is 77 and 81 years for male and female respectively who have born in 2017. The chart also showed that in Canada the average life expectancy was 79 years for males and 81 years for females in 2017, while in USA the result is same as North America.

Average life expectancy* in North America for those born in 2017, by gender and region (in years)
Average life expectancy* in North America for those born in 2017, by gender and region (in years) The Statistics Portal

On the other hand, as per another research, led by Professor John Einmahl of the Department of Econometrics at Tilburg University and colleagues, has shown that the maximum human lifespan is 115, specifically for women it is 115.7 years and for men, it is 114.1 years.

However, in the recent study the research team said that their analysis of the collected data showed "The increasing number of exceptionally long-lived people and the fact that their mortality beyond 105 is seen to be declining across cohorts—lowering the mortality plateau or postponing the age when it appears—strongly suggest that longevity is continuing to increase over time and that a limit, if any, has not been reached."

"Our results contribute to a recently rekindled debate about the existence of a fixed maximum lifespan for humans, underwriting doubt that any limit is as yet in view," Barbi's team wrote.

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