Since the dawn of humanity, individuals have always been interested in the possibility of extending their lives. Ancient Rome and Greece abounded with tales of eternal life. Even in more recent years, scientists occasionally claim to be close to unlocking the secrets of living longer.
However, the key to using technology to increase life expectancy actually lies in several much more minor breakthroughs. Every time that the world of medical tech reduces the mortality rate from a disease or makes an existing procedure safer, the life expectancy of the general population increases a little. When all of these individual advances are added together, it’s possible to see a marked change in life expectancy in a particular country. This article will examine some of the work that is currently going on to boost average lifespans.
Medical Imaging
The world of medical imaging may not get as much attention from the media as drug trials or surgical breakthroughs. Still, in fact, it plays a massive part in both those areas of medicine. Companies such as the medical imaging firm Antaros Medical are working to improve the quality of medical imaging that is used when new drugs are being developed and pioneering surgery is carried out for the first time. High-quality medical images make it far easier for researchers and other members of the trial team to understand the impact that their experiment has had. This could substantially reduce the time needed for new drugs and medical procedures to complete their trials.
RNA Messaging
RNA has received a significant amount of attention in recent months since both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against COVID-19 are based on RNA technology. RNA works by transmitting messages that tell the body how to fight off diseases that it has not previously encountered, such as COVID-19. The only positive outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has massively accelerated the speed of medical research into RNA vaccines. This may mean that RNA vaccines that target other diseases such as HIV/AIDS become available much more quickly than would otherwise have been the case. This would significantly enhance life expectancy, particularly in areas that have been hard hit by HIV.
Medical breakthroughs are happening all the time, and it’s hard to predict which will have the most significant impact on life expectancy. However, there are many exciting products in the pipeline that could change the way we live.