Longevity – Other Aspects – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1004

Longevity – Other Aspects – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1004

Dear Colleagues! This is Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1004 for Pharma Veterans. Pharma Veterans Blogs are published by Asrar Qureshi on its dedicated site https://pharmaveterans.com. Please email to aq.pharmaveterans@gmail.com for publishing your contributions here.

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Long Life or Longevity is a complicated matter and raises several ethical, social, economic, and global issues. This post highlights some of these aspects.

Equity and Access

The potential for longevity technologies to be accessible primarily to the wealthy, as is the case at present, raises significant concerns about justice and inequality. If only affluent individuals can afford life-extending treatments, this could exacerbate existing health disparities and create a societal divide where longevity becomes a privilege rather than a universal right.

Religious Beliefs

Most religions endorse a fixed lifespan allocated at birth by divine power. Longevity efforts may be considered as trying to tamper with this commandment. It is quite likely that more orthodox believers all over the world may reject the concept altogether. Or this may become a reason for dispute between different groups of society.

Quality vs. Quantity of Life

Debates surrounding the extension of lifespan often focus on whether increasing the number of years lived is desirable if those years are not accompanied by a corresponding quality of life. Critics argue that it is more important to enhance the quality of life rather than merely prolonging it, suggesting that efforts should prioritize health span – the period of life spent in good health – over life span.

Intergenerational Equity

As life expectancy increases, questions arise about the implications for younger generations, including potential economic burdens related to healthcare costs and caregiving responsibilities. There is a need to consider how extended lifespans might affect job markets, retirement age, and resource allocation across generations. In societies where elder care is a norm, it may stretch the capacity and compassion to the point of breaking up.

Overselling Potential Benefits

There is concern about the potential for overstating the efficacy of longevity technologies, which may lead to public disillusionment if promised results do not materialize. This skepticism is compounded by the complexity of aging as a biological process, making radical life extension a challenging goal. The United States is leading this research, and the Americans have a habit of hard selling everything, overstating benefits and concealing problems, which surface later when many people have become sufferers.

Research Ethics

The ethical framework guiding research in longevity must address whether interventions should be tested in younger populations or older adults already experiencing aging symptoms. This includes considerations around informed consent, especially in vulnerable populations such as the elderly. Other vulnerable populations include low-income groups, and marginalized segments. It has not been uncommon to run trials on such populations through the history.

Environmental and Social Limits

The pursuit of radical life extension raises questions about the environmental impact of an aging population and whether society can sustainably support a larger number of elderly individuals. Increased lifespan may lead to heightened resource consumption, raising questions about sustainability. The challenge lies in balancing human desires for longevity with the planet's capacity to support a growing population without depleting natural resources. Concerns about resource depletion and environmental degradation must be included into discussions about extending human lifespan.

Concerns about population growth are already prevalent, and extending lifespan could lead to further increase in the number of elderly individuals. While some studies suggest that population changes may occur slowly and not necessarily lead to overpopulation, the potential for increased demand on resources and environmental sustainability remains a critical issue.

Economic Impact

Widespread life extension could have mixed economic effects. On one hand, a healthier, longer-living workforce might contribute positively to the economy by reducing healthcare costs and increasing productivity. Conversely, there could be increased public spending on pensions and healthcare for an aging population, which might strain social security systems. The balance between these outcomes will depend on how health span and lifespan are affected by longevity intervention. In most countries of the world, social security systems do not exist, and medical care is an out-of-pocket expense. Pakistan is not the only country where this scenario is present, most Asian and African countries have similar cultures. The extended cost of medical care in these cases shall become unbearable quickly.

Social Structures and Relationships

Radical life extension may alter traditional social structures and relationships. For example, the dynamics of family roles could shift as older adults remain active longer, potentially changing expectations around caregiving responsibilities among younger generations. Additionally, concepts of marriage and parenting may evolve as people consider longer lifespans; individuals might delay marriage or rethink family planning in the light of extended lives.

Workplace Changes

As life expectancy increases, it is likely that people will need to work longer, which could lead to changes in workplace practices and policies. This might include more flexible working arrangements or opportunities for older workers to remain engaged in the workforce longer. We already have four generations working in several workplaces, and it may increase further.

Cultural Shifts

The cultural perception of aging and old age could shift significantly. With advancements in health technologies, societal attitudes towards aging might become more positive, viewing older adults as valuable contributors rather than burdens. This could build greater intergenerational collaboration and understanding. It will be a positive development if it so happens.

Sum Up

The above considerations highlight the need for comprehensive thinking, catering for all concerns, and building governance frameworks that not only promote scientific advancement but also ensure equitable access, prioritize quality of life, and address broader societal implications as the possibilities within the longevity technology market are explored.

Concluded.

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