Mayo Clinic physicians are pushing for a shift in how aging is understood, arguing that the medical field needs to pay more attention to “healthspan” — the years a person spends in good health — rather than focusing almost exclusively on how long people live. A new paper published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings outlines a framework for this approach, coauthored by Dr. Christina Chen, a Mayo Clinic physician in internal medicine and geriatrics, and Dr. Sara Bonnes. The central argument is straightforward: living longer is not the same as living well.
“Patients often say, ‘I want to live to be 100,’ and that is a meaningful goal,” Dr. Chen said. “But living longer may not be the same as living well.” Healthspan, she explained, is about how well you live during those years — the ability to function independently, think clearly, and maintain a good quality of life. It shifts the focus from simply adding years to making sure those years are meaningful.
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The distinction matters now more than ever, according to the paper. Doctors have been successful at extending lifespan, but less effective at preserving the quality of those added years. “What we are seeing in clinical practice is that many people are living longer with chronic disease, reduced mobility, cognitive impairment and increasing dependence,” Dr. Chen said. The gap between years lived and years lived well is growing, and it is something clinicians see every day.
What clinicians are missing
When the medical field equates living longer with living better, care can become too focused on disease alone, the authors argue. Clinicians may not pay enough attention to functional abilities, cognitive health, or the ability to remain independent at home — the things patients value most. Traditional measures like lab values or survival rates do not tell doctors whether someone can manage daily activities, stay socially connected, or continue living safely and independently. That is a critical gap in how medicine defines success.
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Healthspan becomes actionable when clinicians start measuring additional domains like physical function, cognitive health, and independence in a consistent way. Practical tools already exist for this: gait speed, grip strength, balance assessments, cognitive screening, and patient-reported outcomes. These are validated measures that can be incorporated into routine care and give a much clearer picture of how patients are actually doing. When these domains are prioritized alongside thoughtful preventive care, they can be tracked over time and used to guide clinical decisions in a way that aligns with what patients care about most.
A healthspan-focused approach shifts the goal of care toward helping patients stay independent, mobile, and clear-minded for as long as possible. It also changes how doctors talk to patients. Instead of focusing only on treating disease, care can be framed around preserving function, cognition, and overall well-being so patients are able to live well with dignity. That shift helps patients better understand the purpose behind recommendations and can improve engagement in their care, according to the paper.
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Dr. Chen said the conversation can start with the words clinicians use. Instead of asking only how to extend life, the question becomes how to help patients live well — what are their goals, and how can medicine help them reach those goals. That includes preserving the ability to perform everyday activities, maintain social connections, and continue living independently. Small changes in how care is discussed can help patients see that the goal is not just longevity, but living with quality, dignity and purpose.
The next steps for the research include developing standardized metrics for healthspan, integrating them across medical specialties, and designing care models that prioritize function, independence, and long-term quality of life. “Our goal is to make healthspan something we can measure and track in everyday clinical practice,” Dr. Chen said. “If we can do that, we can better align care with outcomes that truly impact patients’ lives.”
