Check out this answer from Consensus:
The debate over whether there is a limit to human lifespan remains unresolved. While some studies suggest a natural limit around 115 years, others argue that there is no definitive upper bound, citing statistical and biological evidence. The concept of a mortality plateau and the impact of medical advancements further complicate the issue. Overall, while there is empirical support for a biological limit, the potential for future breakthroughs in aging research leaves the question open for further investigation.
The question of whether there is a limit to human lifespan has been a topic of considerable debate among researchers. While technological and medical advancements have significantly increased life expectancy, the possibility of a fixed upper limit to human longevity remains contentious.
Key Insights
- Fixed Upper Limit to Human Lifespan:
- Several studies suggest that there is a natural limit to human lifespan, with improvements in survival rates declining significantly after age 100 and the maximum age at death not increasing since the 1990s1 2 6.
- Historical data analysis indicates that the maximum reported age at death has fluctuated around 115 years, suggesting a species-specific limit to human longevity2 9.
- Statistical and Biological Evidence Against a Fixed Limit:
- Some researchers argue that there is no definitive upper limit to human lifespan, citing statistical errors in previous studies and the potential for continued increases in life expectancy4 8 10.
- Analyses of supercentenarian data show that while the number of individuals reaching extreme old age has increased, the maximum age at death has not significantly risen, indicating a potential biological limit9.
- Mortality Plateau and Longevity Records:
- Studies have observed a “mortality plateau” after age 105, where the rate of mortality does not increase significantly, suggesting the absence of a fixed limit to longevity5 8.
- Despite historical increases in the number of supercentenarians, recent data show a slowdown in the growth of maximum reported age at death, supporting the hypothesis of a biological limit9.
- Impact of Medical and Technological Advances:
- Hypothetical reductions in mortality rates from major diseases indicate that even with significant medical advancements, it is unlikely that life expectancy at birth will exceed 85 years3.
- Future biomedical advances could potentially alter the intrinsic rate of human aging, but current data do not support a significant increase in maximum lifespan beyond current records5.
Is there a limit to how old we could get?
Evandro Fei Fang has answered Likely
An expert from University of Oslo in Anti-Ageing, Alzheimer’s Disease
Prof. Jon Vijg proposed a limit of 115 years of average lifespan (see Nature 2016), although it raised a lot of questions, but suggest there is a limitation. For me, because of the DNA codes, there must be a limitation on how long we can live if we do not consider genetic editing, but just interventions by food and exercise.
Is there a limit to how old we could get?
Marco Demaria has answered Uncertain
An expert from University Medical Center Groningen in Cell Biology, Anti-Ageing
Some data seem to suggest so, but it is not clear how far the limit can be pushed.
Is there a limit to how old we could get?
Valery Krizhanovsky has answered Likely
An expert from Weizmann Institute of Science in Cell Biology, Anti-Ageing
There both biological and statistical data that suggest that such limit exists. It would be interesting to see if research would be able to overcome this limit in the future.
Is there a limit to how old we could get?
Lorna Harries has answered Likely
An expert from University of Exeter in Genetics, Cell Biology
In my opinion yes. Even in areas such as the blue zones, where people have extraordinary lifespans, people don’t live much past 120. Some people believe that extreme life extension may be possible, but personally I haven’t seen any evidence that convinces me of that at the moment.
Is there a limit to how old we could get?
Nazif Alic has answered Likely
An expert from University College London in Genetics, Anti-Ageing, Cell Biology
There was at least one study that presented evidence for a maximum lifespan for a human i.e. that there is a limit to how old we could get.