Studies to Find How Long We’re Going to Live
An Italian study has shown that old people did not reach their limit of lifespan just yet. And we know that, since 1900, the average life expectancy has doubled around the world, perhaps even more than doubled, all with the help of a better public health, food supplies and sanitation. However, this study shows that we can live even more.
So they say that if, indeed, there’s a limit, we don’t know it yet, because no one has met it so far. The research was done by Dr. Elisabetta Barbi and her colleagues from the University of Rome. It was published on Thursday in the journal Science.
Who was the person who lived the longer?
21 years ago, a Frenchwoman set the record, with 122 years before death. No one has reached that age so far. At least, not anyone that the scientists know.
In 2016, a group of scientists argued that, in fact, humanity has reached its lifespan, and that is of about 115 years. But critics were not late to arrive. They said that all the data was poor, and that the statistics were nothing but flawed. They said that those who study the limits of longevity usually meet two statistical challenges.
The thing is that there aren’t many who lived for that long, and old people, at one point, start to forget for how long they’ve lived. So sometimes it’s hard for scientists to make sure that the age is real.
About the study…
Dr. Barbi decided to find the records of every person in Italy who has reached the age of 105, in the years 2009-2015. To make sure that the age was real, they used their birth certificates. They found about 3,836 elderly Italians. They also looked for the death certificates of those who passed away to set up a rate that could show the age when people die.
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