Global health. The current scenario and future perspectives

240 Despite these trends, Chile lags behind in implementing necessary changes to ensure the social and economic engagement of older individuals, which is crucial for their physical and mental well-being. Women tend to live longer than men. For instance, in South Australia, there are 126 women for every 100 men over the age of 65; and for every 100 men over the age of 80, there are 160 women (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012). Data and projections for Chile are consistent with these trends. When looking at population forecasts for 2050, women are expected to represent 54.4% of individuals over 60 years old in the country (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2020). Human life increasingly resembles a marathon rather than a hundred- meter race, which requires us to adjust our pace for the long distance ahead. The longevity revolution grants thirty or more years of life, often with the ability to remain self-sufficient. This suggests that a career choice made at 16-18 years old may not be the most suitable or fulfilling for a work life spanning several decades. It is crucial to recognize that current policies and practices are rooted in a traditional assumption of a typical life course that requires updating. Policy decisions still presume that individuals over 65 form a homogeneous category. However, the health of older people is not static; it is influenced by decisions and circumstances that lead to increased diversity due to the cumulative effects of various instances and processes involved in biological aging (Campisi et al., 2019). Nearly one-fifth of gains in life expectancy are attributed to years lived with illness (Jagger et al., 2008), a proportion that is even higher for women and individuals with fewer resources. Yet, lifestyle interventions such as exercise and diet have been shown to help maintain health in old age (Partridge et al., 2018). Many people experience long lives with fewer disease burdens (Andersen et al., 2012; Christensen et al., 2008), supported by numerous animal models demonstrating healthy aging processes (López-Otín et al., 2013). oreover, neurons in the human brain regenerate throughout life by renewing themselves and becoming activated by new challenges. This ongoing neurogenesis is one of the most intriguing research topics, with evidence suggesting that humans can regenerate neurons and potentially live up to 150 years. Neurons may be the longest-lived cells in the human body which highlights the challenge of investigating them to extend healthy life to such an age.