--- title: "Scientists Say This Is the Maximum Human Lifespan" description: "Researchers say they've figured out the maximum lifespan for humans." date: "2021-05-27" modified: "2021-05-27" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/scientists-maximum-human-lifespan" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Studies" tags: - "Aging" - "anti-aging" - "health" --- # Scientists Say This Is the Maximum Human Lifespan ![Researchers concluded that with perfect health, humans could live to anywhere between 120 and 150 years, as detailed in a new study.]() *\Image: \Image via Pixabay/Futurism\\* Researchers say they've figured out the maximum lifespan for humans. They concluded that with perfect health, humans could live to anywhere between 120 and 150 years, as detailed in [a study]() published this week in the journal *Nature Communications*. Those ages, they say, can only be achieved by humans lucky enough to make it through life without major health issues like cancer or heart disease. It is instead meant to estimate how long the natural process of aging takes over a human lifespan — a fascinating look at the resilience of the human body. In their study, a team of researchers at Singapore-based company Gero looked into this "pace of aging," examining residents of the US, UK, and Russia. By looking at the number of steps taken and changes in blood cell counts, they found that as age increased, the body declined at a predictable rate. Between the ages of 120 and 150, according to their findings, the human body's natural resilience would eventually fail entirely and lead to death. To put those numbers into perspective, the oldest person on record to have lived was Jeanne Calment, who died in France at the age of 122, as [*Scientific American* points out](). The conclusion is surprising, considering that step and blood cell counts are inherently different factors — yet they both led to largely the same decline. Experts, however, argue that rather than asking how long humans can live, the real question should be how long we can life a healthy life. "Death is not the only thing that matters," Heather Whitson, director of the Duke University Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, told *SA*. "Other things, like quality of life, start mattering more and more as people experience the loss of them." ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()