Targeting the biological processes of aging offers a promising approach to extend healthspan and reduce the burden of age-related diseases.

A personal story highlights the importance of healthy aging, contrasting a grandfather's current lifestyle with his father's early health issues and premature death.

Research indicates that only about 7% of aging is dictated by genetics, while 93% is influenced by lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep, stress management, activity, social engagement, and mental stimulation.

The primary goal in aging science is to slow down the biological clock to prevent or delay multiple diseases simultaneously, thereby enhancing quality of life into old age.

Eric Verdin, President and CEO of the Buck Institute, emphasizes his personal connection to aging research and his hope to help people live healthier, longer lives.

Verdin reflects on scientific advances in aging and the potential to extend healthspan through lifestyle changes and innovative research.

It is never too late to adopt healthier habits, which can significantly improve both lifespan and healthspan, even if unhealthy behaviors have been present early in life.

With optimized lifestyle habits, most people could expect to live healthily into their 90s or beyond, rather than merely reaching old age with chronic diseases.

While life expectancy has increased over the past 150 years due to medical and scientific advances, many older adults suffer from chronic age-related diseases that impair quality of life and strain healthcare systems.

Living in environments like Marin County, which offers a healthy setting and hosts the Buck Institute dedicated to aging biology, provides advantages for healthy aging.

Aging is the top risk factor for chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes, which are often treated separately with limited success.

The field of aging research has shifted from viewing aging as inevitable to understanding it as a modifiable process that can be slowed, altered, or even reversed.