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How to improve life expectancy after spinal cord injury - Part 2
In the first article in this series, we described how the lifespan of our general population increased on average as we moved through the first half of the 20th century. This was largely due to improved public health measures and the arrival of antibiotics. At present, we no longer see lifespan increasing and what is worse, many of us spend the last years of life in poor health and subject to chronic conditions that are associated with ageing. These conditions are:-
Heart disease
Cancer
Neurodegenerative disease
Type 2 diabetes and related metabolic dysfunction
These conditions are highly correlated with age and approximately 80% of the population will succumb to them. To some extent, they may have common causes that we would need to dig deep to uncover. In particular, metabolic dysfunction seems to be a precursor to all these other diseases.
How to improve life expectancy after spinal cord injury - Part 1
Welcome to the first of a series of articles that will tackle the topic of improving life expectancy after a spinal cord injury. The goal of these articles is to provide valuable information on how to not just live longer, but healthier. We all want to age "gracefully", and that's why we need to start thinking about healthspan rather than just lifespan. Research suggests that the life expectancy of persons following a traumatic spinal cord injury has been improving since the 1950's but remains shorter compared with the general population. We will discuss why the length of life is not the only thing that counts.
In this first article, we will discuss the importance of healthspan and what we can do to achieve it. Living longer is great, but what's even better is having the physical ability to perform daily activities and participate fully in the life we want. Subsequent articles will delve into how spinal cord injuries affect lifespan and provide insights on creating a plan to live healthier.
So, let's take charge of our health and work towards enjoying a fulfilling life. Let's start by looking at the population at large and introduce the concepts of lifespan and "healthspan" and see why we don't want to have a long life unless it is also a healthy life.