Human Longevity and Aging

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝗫𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗟𝗬 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗴𝗼: 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 — 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲! ⬇️ No blood tests or biomarkers. You just need one photo! Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Mass General Brigham have introduced FaceAge, a deep learning model that estimates your biological age by analyzing subtle features in your face — and uses that to predict survival outcomes for cancer patients. Yes, it sounds futuristic, BUT it’s already showing real clinical value in first trials. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: FaceAge was trained on 58,000+ face photos of healthy individuals aged 60 and above. But it doesn’t just see wrinkles — it detects subtle physiological signals linked to how fast someone is biologically aging. The AI pipeline uses two convolutional neural networks: 1. The first localizes the face in the photo 2. The second extracts fine-grained facial features — texture, structure, shape — and predicts a FaceAge score, representing the person’s biological age. That score is then compared to their actual age to detect accelerated aging — and the difference is used to forecast survival outcomes, especially in cancer patients. To test its impact in healthcare, researchers validated FaceAge across 6,000+ patients with cancer in three clinical cohorts in the US and Europe. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱: ➜ On average, cancer patients appeared ~5 years older than their actual age ➜ The higher a patient’s FaceAge, the lower their chance of survival — across multiple types and stages of cancer ➜ In patients receiving palliative care, FaceAge significantly improved doctors’ ability to predict 6-month survival, increasing accuracy from 74% to 80% ➜ It even aligned with molecular aging markers like CDK6 — something chronological age failed to do In oncology, physicians often rely on subjective judgment — how “fit” or “frail” a patient "looks" — when making treatment decisions. Especially at the end of life, when the wrong call can mean either unnecessary suffering or missed therapeutic benefit. FaceAge turns those impressions into objective, data-backed insights. It adds a layer of precision to clinical decision-making — without requiring any additional lab tests or scans. And yes, it still leaves the doctor in charge. This is exactly where AI should go: ➜ Translating human intuition into measurable signals ➜ Supporting better decisions, not replacing them ➜ Making medicine smarter, fairer, and more personalized Link to the full study (Lancet Digital Health): https://lnkd.in/d-xjJhuz 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁?

We’ve just published our first preprint at Terra API Research! While reviewing the sleep literature, we identified a clear gap: almost no large-scale, global studies on year-round variation in sleep. Existing research suggested seasonal effects on sleep duration, but most studies were limited by small sample sizes, single-country focus, narrow latitude ranges, or subjective self-reports. We are in a unique position in that we have access to a large, diverse, and globally distributed data set, but we just had to find a way to tie nights to a location. The Terra API research team had a brilliant, collaborative, and innovative approach. We combined 185,000 anonymous, objectively measured nights of sleep from 697 individuals across 49 countries, with location data from activity sessions. Bayesian hierarchical models were applied to disentangle individual, country-level, and environmental effects. Key findings: - Sleep duration decreases consistently with increasing daylight (~4–5 minutes less per additional hour of daylight) - After accounting for individual and country baselines, calendar season explains surprisingly little - Despite vast differences in seasonal light exposure across latitudes, people at higher latitudes show no greater sensitivity to day-length changes - A large portion of the remaining variation appears at the country level — pointing to sociocultural factors playing a bigger role than latitude alone These results suggest that global sleep patterns are driven more by stable individual and national differences than by broad seasonal categories. This has real implications for interpreting seasonal effects in smaller, geographically limited studies and highlights the value of large-scale wearable data for circadian research. A massive thank you to the team, Faraaz Akhtar and Cameron Crawford. Looking forward to seeing what we can do next! Preprint link in comments. Curious to hear your thoughts: do you notice seasonal changes in your own sleep? #SleepResearch #WearableTechnology #BayesianModeling #GlobalHealth #CircadianRhythms #DataScience #TerraResearch

The Most Dangerous Word in Business? “Old.” It slips into conversations casually… but here’s the truth: “Old” doesn’t describe people. It erases them. It turns vibrant, wise, experienced, and active individuals into a stereotype. It flattens decades of experience into an expiration date. And in business, it becomes a convenient excuse to overlook, underestimate, or phase out valuable talent. Think about it: We’d never reduce a 22-year-old to just “young” and stop there. So why do we dismiss a 62-year-old as “old” - and ignore their leadership, innovation, and ambition? The reality is, people in their 60s, 70s, and beyond are: - Launching companies - Running marathons - Mentoring the next generation - Driving growth, wisdom, and purpose In my keynotes, I challenge leaders to retire the word “old” - and with it, the outdated thinking that limits our human potential. Because aging isn’t necessarily decline. It can be an opportunity. Reinvention. Wisdom in action. What word would you rather hear or use instead of “old”? Let’s rewrite the narrative together. #AgelessAging #FutureOfWork #Leadership #Longevity #AgeInclusion

𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 60-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿? As lifespans increase, this question is no longer hypothetical, it’s strategic. I recently explored "Longevity: Three Trends That Redefine How We Live and Work" by Nele Dael & Alyson Meister (IMD), and the message is clear: the future of work is multi-stage, multi-generational, and much longer than we ever expected. The classic model: education => career => retirement, is becoming obsolete. With people living longer and healthier, we're entering a new reality: multi-stage lives and 50+ year careers. This isn't just a health story, it's a business and societal transformation. Here are the big 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀: - Healthspan > Lifespan: The WHO urges a shift toward healthy aging, not just adding years to life. - Workplaces as health hubs: Investing in employee well-being boosts engagement, longevity and profitability. - AI & prevention: New tools can predict biological age and health risks offering companies powerful ways to shape long-term workforce vitality. 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱 1: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 - Now worth $8T, projected to hit $12T by 2030. - Aging consumers are reshaping markets: wellness, supplements, coaching, real estate. - Governments & employers are rethinking pensions, phased retirement, and lifelong learning. 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱 2: 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶-𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 - Up to six generations in one workplace. - Age-inclusive leadership, flexible roles, and reskilling are essential. - Retirement isn’t a full stop, it’s a transition. 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱 3: 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 & 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 - 67% of Americans consider themselves biohackers. - Influencers are shaping perceptions of aging more than doctors. - Organizations can lead by promoting evidence-based content and empowering internal health advocates. Longevity isn’t just a health trend, it’s a leadership and business strategy. We need to redesign work for longer, healthier lives. #Longevity #FutureOfWork #Leadership #HealthyAging #EmployeeWellbeing #HRStrategy #AgeInclusion #LifelongLearning #WorkplaceTransformation #IMD

A long-running labor supply tailwind may have ended. For more than two decades, one of the most reliable trends in the U.S. labor market was the steady rise in labor force participation among older Americans. But something has changed. Both series have flattened in recent years. And for the 70+ group, participation has actually drifted down since COVID. The “Americans are working longer and longer” story was true for a generation. It looks much less true now. Why? My best guess is the wealth effect. Home values and equity portfolios have surged over the past decade, and older Americans are disproportionately asset-rich. When your net worth rises sharply, the incentive to remain in the workforce at 68 or 73 weakens. COVID may have accelerated that shift, nudging some financially comfortable older workers from “I could retire” to “I am retired.” This deserves more attention. The long rise in older-worker participation was an important tailwind for labor supply. If that tailwind is over, it matters for labor shortages, fiscal projections, and how we think about the workforce in the next decade. #laborforceparticipation #retirement #labormarkets #recruitment #careers

Could a selfie influence your survival odds and your treatment plan? 📸FaceAge is an AI model trained on 58,000+ face photos that estimates your biological age based on how old you look, not how many birthdays you’ve had 📸When tested on 6,000+ cancer patients, those with higher biological ages (i.e., who looked older than their years) had significantly worse survival outcomes 📸On average, cancer patients looked around five years older than their chronological age compared to non-cancer patients 📸Clinicians asked to predict survival for patients receiving palliative care were only slightly better than chance, but accuracy improved notably when they had FaceAge data. The algorithm outperformed doctors across multiple cancer types, suggesting that “how old you appear” can be a powerful, objective biomarker 📸In practice two patients of the same chronological age, but with a big difference in their biological ages , could be offered different cancer treatment depending on their ability to tolerate it and the chances of a positive outcome 📸Researchers plan to expand testing across diseases and datasets, but also warn of ethical risks: bias, misuse by insurers, and over-reliance on visual data. The model hasn’t been validated on faces altered by surgery, fillers, or heavy makeup, so yes, your Botox might throw a wrinkle in the algorithm #DigitalHealth #AI

The real challenge with change lies in staying with it. After a Vipassana meditation retreat, I returned with a clear mind and deeper awareness. Mornings felt calmer, conversations felt more intentional, and each day carried a quiet sense of balance. For a while, that feeling stayed. Then the pace of work, travel, and decision-making took over. That calm began to fade into the background. It taught me something important. Change is not a single moment. It is a daily practice. The spark begins the journey, but structure helps it last. Here are five ideas that have helped me sustain it over time. 1. Let it shape who you are. When a practice becomes part of your identity, it stays. Mindfulness stopped being something I did. It became a way of being in how I lead, think, and respond. 2. Design for it. Habits thrive when the environment makes them easy. Small cues like starting the morning in silence, keeping time away from screens, or pausing between meetings make a big difference. 3. Build accountability. Sharing goals and progress with people who value similar growth helps you stay consistent. Growth feels lighter when it is shared. 4. Accept the rhythm of life. Disruptions are inevitable. The key is to return quickly without guilt or frustration. The return matters more than the slip. 5. Reflect often. A few quiet minutes each week to notice what worked and what did not can reset your focus and direction. Change that lasts is rarely dramatic. It grows through repetition, awareness, and small steady choices that align with who you want to become. #life #inspiration #growth #mindset #gratitude

Humans will live longer with AI and technology — not just longer, but healthier. How long do you plan to live? History shows every leap in science adds years to life: ✅ Clean water and sanitation added 20+ years to life expectancy in the 20th century. ✅ Vaccines and antibiotics extended it by another 10+ years. Now we’re entering a new era where AI and advanced technology become the next great longevity engine. 🔹 AI diagnostics: Studies show AI can detect cancers and heart disease with 95%+ accuracy, often years before symptoms appear. Early detection alone can increase survival rates by 30–50%. 🔹 Personalized medicine: Genomic AI is making tailored treatments possible, projected to cut adverse drug reactions by up to 70%. 🔹 Wearables & robotics: By 2030, over 1 billion people will use health-monitoring devices, empowering real-time interventions and healthier aging. 🔹 Drug discovery with AI: What once took 10–15 years can now be done in under 2 years, accelerating breakthroughs in anti-aging and regenerative medicine. 📊 The economic impact is massive: According to the World Economic Forum, increasing healthy life expectancy by just 1 year would add $38 trillion to the global economy. By 2030, the longevity economy (products & services for people over 50) is projected to reach $27 trillion. A healthier, longer-living population means extended productivity, delayed retirement, and reduced healthcare costs. Today, the global average life expectancy is 73 years. With AI and technology, experts forecast we could see healthy lifespans extend to 90–100 years within this century. This is more than just “adding years to life” — it’s about adding life to years. Imagine a world where people in their 80s and 90s remain as vibrant, curious, and productive as those decades younger. The convergence of AI and technology won’t just change how long we live. It will change what it means to live. #AI #Longevity #FutureOfHealth #TechnologyForGood #Innovation #LongevityEconomy

💡 In Japan, there exists a unique concept called Madogiwa-zoku — the "window-side tribe."❤️👌💡 Instead of pushing employees in their 50s and 60s into irrelevance, Japanese companies continue to honor their loyalty, keep them on payroll, and treat them with dignity until retirement. Now, let’s reflect on India. The moment many professionals here cross 45, corporates start whispering the same dangerous myth: “They are no longer competent, they can’t adapt, they can’t deliver.” But pause and think 👇 🔹 These are the same people who built the foundation of your organization. 🔹 They carry decades of domain knowledge, customer insights, and crisis-handling skills no AI tool or MBA can replicate overnight. 🔹 They’ve already proven adaptability — surviving multiple technology shifts, economic slowdowns, and corporate restructures. Instead of sidelining them, Indian corporates should: ✅ Re-skill and re-position them as mentors. ✅ Use their experience to guide strategy, not just execution. ✅ Create pathways where wisdom and youth collaborate, not compete. 🚨 Age is not incompetence. It’s competence, tested by time. If Japan can preserve dignity at work till retirement, why can’t India lead with the same respect — but with innovation added? 👉 Corporates, it’s time to rewrite the narrative: Don’t waste talent at 45. Harness it. #Leadership #WorkplaceCulture #RespectExperience #FutureOfWork #CorporateIndia #TalentRetention #AgeIsStrength #DiversityAndInclusion #EmployeeEngagement #LifelongLearning #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceWisdom

Sleep is a drug. But the dose matters. Too much or too little? Both will wreck you. Here’s the truth: sleep isn’t a flex or a badge. It’s a prescription. And the right dose is boringly simple. New meta-analysis (2025): <7 hours → 14% higher risk of early death. ≥9 hours → 34% higher. The curve is U-shaped and the sweet spot is tight. (source in first comment) Translation: Defend your 7–8 hour window like your life depends on it; because it does. Forget the sleep trackers. Forget the biohacking. Forget the “I only need 5 hours” crowd. They’re playing with fire. What actually works: → Consistency: Same sleep/wake time. Every. Single. Day. → Timing: Anchor to daylight. Morning light early; dim light at night. → Light exposure: Get outside early; kill blue light late. → Routine: Wind-down ritual. No screens. No late caffeine. No drama. → Tools: Add gadgets/supplements only after you nail the basics. Sleep is a dose, not a trophy. You can’t fully “catch up” on weekends. You can’t hack your way out of biology. You can only protect the middle. The pros don’t brag about little sleep. They brag about boring, regular sleep. Action: Audit your last 14 nights. Set a 7–8h target this week... and protect it. Source: 2025 meta-analysis confirms U-shaped mortality risk: short sleep increases by 14%, long sleep increases by 34%. Key takeaway: Protect 7–8 hours. https://lnkd.in/eigfCpHA