Science is powering ahead, and improving our quality of life

There have seen massive rises in human life expectancy in countries around the world in recent decades.

This is particularly so in wealthier parts of the world including Europe.

Hundreds of millions of people are now living past the typical lifespan of three score years and ten.

Even the Covid pandemic has not caused as many deaths among the elderly as it might have done, given the rigorous global efforts to protect from infection older folk, who are among those most vulnerable to the virus.

That so many people are living often fulfilled and active lives far beyond what their parents or grandparents did is one of the miracles of modern science.

But it has come with significant side effects.

There are now many more people suffering from medical problems such as dementia and Parkinson’s because many more people are at an age where such diseases tend to appear.

They are very stubborn conditions. Very little can be done about gradual memory loss, for example.

There are though tantalising hints of progress in terms of treatments for all sorts of symptoms.

It is encouraging to hear of researchers report an “exciting step” towards therapy for cognitive decline in Parkinson’s sufferers. Scientists think that a brain scan will help them identify which Parkinson’s patients will most benefit from a drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

As with all mini breakthroughs in core medical treatments, it is painful to think that many people suffering today from the relevant disease will not in fact benefit from the improvements, because it takes time to come to fruition.

But there is good reason to be hopeful about future patients. The stunning speed with which Covid vaccines were developed, and their dramatic impact on the pandemic, shows that human ingenuity and industry is still fizzing away, in the efforts to improve the quality of life of people worldwide.

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Ben Lowry

Acting Editor