Why ageing research?

We need to extend our health span 

Over the last 150 years or so, our lifespan has more than doubled. Major advances 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 problems. This is because our health span – the amount of time we spend in good health – has not increased in step with our lifespan.

As a result, today we spend a prolonged time in poor health at the end of our lives. This is not just detrimental to 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.

_{^{The copyright for this text is held by the Centre for Healthy Ageing and Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) gGmbH.}}

_{^{Authors: Vanessa Kellner (PhD), Cheryl Li (PhD), Samantha Schmaul (PhD) and Ralf Dahm (PhD).}}

_{^{This text is for general informational and educational purposes only. We make every effort to ensure that the information published is accurate and supported by the current scientific literature at the time of writing. This information is, however, not intended to provide medical advice or replace a qualified medical practitioner. Please consult your doctor or health care professional if you have any concerns or questions about your health or the information in this document.}}