Why ageing research?

Today, many countries have more elderly people than ever before. In Germany alone, 23% of the population is over 65, and this is projected to rise in the future. We still do not fully understand why some people live to be over 100 in good health, while others suffer from age-related diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's.

We need to extend our health span

Over the last 150 years or so, our lifespan has more than doubled. Major successes in modern medicine such as better hygiene, vaccines and antibiotics are largely responsible for this. However, we often spend a considerable portion of the latter part of our lives suffering from major health restrictions. This is because our health span, i.e. the amount of time we spend in good health, has not increased in step with our lifespan.

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So today we are ill for longer before we die. This is not just detrimental for individual quality of life, but also a challenge for society. Among other things, it is associated with immense costs.

Research on the biology of ageing aims to change this: we seek to understand exactly what happens during ageing, so we can find ways to extend health span.