Humanity has achieved a remarkable feat — adding nearly a decade to the average human lifespan since 1990 — yet the deeper question of what fills those years remains largely unanswered. A landmark analysis published in The Lancet Public Health reveals that the gap between how long people live and how long they live well has grown from 8.8 to 10.7 years, meaning the average person now spends more than 14% of their life in poor health. The triumph of survival has quietly outpaced the cultivation of vitality, and the burden falls heaviest where longevity is greatest — exposing a fundamental tensi
Global study reveals widening gap between lifespan and healthspan
Billions of people globally are spending increasing portions of their lives with disease and disability, with women disproportionately affected despite longer lifespans.