If in the past, life expectancy was 50ish, and is now expected to rise to 100, would this mean that signs of aging (grey hair, wrinkles, bones and muscles becoming weaker) would happen later in life at around 70-80?
In: Biology
Past life expectancy numbers were mainly brought down by lots of childhood deaths, childbirth, and warfare. People weren’t older at 50 than they are now, although you can argue they were on average a bit less healthy due to poor diet and medical care. Surviving to 90 or 100 was rare but not unheard of among those with healthy finances.
If you look to some healthy, long-living groups in the modern day, that’s about as much as you can hope to get out of human aging. Lifespan naturally caps out at about 100 or so regardless of medical care.
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