Background & Rationale

Longevity is often equated with life expectancy at birth or average lifespan in epidemiological studies. However, this definition may be incomplete. Advances in modern medicine and public health have increased lifespan, but many individuals spend their final years with chronic illnesses, disability, or poor quality of life.

From an Ayurveda and integrative health perspective, longevity (Dirghayu) is not merely survival but the harmonious extension of life with physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Similarly, contemporary gerontology emphasizes health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE), disability-free life expectancy (DFLE), and quality-adjusted life years (QALY) as more accurate indicators of true longevity.

Key Research Directions

• How should true longevity be measured — in years lived, or in healthy years lived?
• What indicators (e.g., HALE, DFLE, QALY) best capture functional, meaningful life span?
• Can traditional systems like Ayurveda, Yoga, and lifestyle medicine contribute to extending healthy years rather than just total years?
• How can healthcare systems shift from lifespan extension to healthspan optimization?
• What role do preventive, personalized, and integrative care models play in redefining longevity?

Proposed Research Forum Discussion

This question invites researchers from public health, Ayurveda, gerontology, and biomedicine to reflect on how we can move beyond the simple metric of life expectancy and redefine longevity in terms of quality, independence, and vitality.

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