Dr. Arvinder Singh Soin says predictive and preventive medicine, using personalised interventions supported by human experts and AI-driven advice could significantly improve longevity.
Published Aug 12, 2024 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 12, 2024 | 7:00 AM
Longevity – not just a long life but a healthy one – was the topic of discussion when Dr. Arvinder Singh Soin, chairman of the Institute of Liver Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine at Medanta, said that predictive and preventive medicine, offering personalised interventions, could increase longevity.
He was moderating a session at the inaugural Dakshin Healthcare Summit in Hyderabad, “The Secrets of Longevity – Unravelling the Science.”
The summit was organised by South First and TV9 Network.
“None of us may believe we’ll live to 100, but we expect that we will live to about 78 to 80 years, right? What happens is that if you are healthy at 20 or 30 years of age, peak health starts to decline after that; by the time one is 65, one is usually just half as healthy as when one was 25,” he said.
Dr. Soin said predictive and preventive medicine, using personalised interventions supported by human experts and AI-driven advice could significantly improve longevity. “This could potentially add 15 years of life, extending both lifespan — the number of years — and also health span — the number of years one remains healthy,” he said.
Dr. Soin said the science exists to expand lifespan and keep people healthy longer into old age.
“Twenty-five per cent of us will die from heart attack, and 25 per cent of first heart attacks are fatal. That first one is the only one some of us will have; but 90 per cent of heart attacks are preventable. Ten per cent of us will die from cancer — these are Indian figures, verified from all available papers and resources. Of those cancer deaths, 50 per cent are preventable,” he said.
Dr. Soin said 10 per cent of Indians die from brain stroke, and 80 per cent of such deaths are preventable. “Dr. Manvir Bhatia, a neurologist and sleep medicine expert, tells me that 8 per cent of Indians over 60 have dementia, and 70 per cent of those cases will lead to death.
Dementia is not just about memory lapses; it’s a killer, and nearly half of those deaths are preventable,” he said. He added that 20 per cent of Indians die from respiratory diseases, with 70 per cent of those being preventable deaths.
“Five per cent die directly from diabetes and its complications, but 90 per cent of those deaths are preventable. Four per cent die from liver disease, 90 per cent of which is preventable, and 3 per cent from kidney disease, with 90 per cent of those deaths also being preventable,” he said.
“So there you have it: If we can prevent or make early diagnoses of diseases that threaten our lives, we can live 15-20 years longer; and also stay healthy in old age,” he said.
(Edited by Rosamma Thomas)
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