The Risk of Living Longer Series, Session 2/5: The Biology of Aging

Douglas and Uli ask the ultimate question of human longevity for financial institutions: How long can we go?

If many people start achieving significantly longer lifespans, there could be far reaching effects both on society and on our financial institutions. How well is this risk of living longer really understood? People have a tendency to underestimate life expectancy, and actuaries have traditionally based future projections on historical trends. Has group think resulted in systematic blind spots in appreciating future longevity risk? Are we overlooking potential black swan events? And do we fully appreciate the differences between insured populations and the general population?

In recent years, some of the world’s top minds – and most bulging wallets – have turned their attention to various aspects of increasing both health span and lifespan. Snippets filter down to us through the scientific media, but the questions remain: what are the most likely avenues for progress and how close are we to significant breakthroughs in extending lives? Douglas Anderson, Uli Stengele hosted session two of the series with Richard Faragher, and Niharika Duggal where they explored the biology of aging to unpack these key questions:

• How should we think of the aging process?
• How might we improve the immunity of the elderly?
• Could we ever cure aging?
• What could we achieve along the way?

See our Q&A document for some high-level responses to questions put to the panel that we did not have time for during the event.