Longevity

Longevity science studies ageing as a biological process that might be measured, slowed and perhaps partly reversed. It spans molecular biology, clinical medicine and a fast-growing commercial sector whose claims routinely outrun its evidence.

Ageing is the largest risk factor for nearly every major chronic disease. Even modest, well-evidenced progress in slowing it would delay many diseases at once — a transformation of medicine and of society's age structure.

A widely used 'hallmarks of ageing' framework organises the field. Epigenetic clocks estimate biological age but are not yet validated as outcome measures. Several interventions extend lifespan in animals. No intervention has been rigorously shown to slow ageing in humans; ageing is not a recognised medical indication, which complicates trials.