Scientists Reveal New Ultimate Human Lifespan Could Reach 146 Years
- A new study suggests humans could theoretically live up to 194 years, even without most diseases
- Scientists identified a specific type of DNA mutation that builds up over a lifetime as the key limiting factor
- Researchers found the heart and brain are the most vulnerable organs when it comes to how long we can live
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Scientists may have found the ceiling for how long a human being can actually live, and the number is both remarkable and sobering.
A new study published in the journal NPJ Ageing suggests that, even in a world where most diseases and biological ageing processes were eliminated, the maximum a person could realistically live would be somewhere between 146 and 194 years. That is roughly double the current global average life expectancy of around 79 years.
The culprit: somatic mutations
The research centres on what scientists call somatic mutations, which are changes to the DNA of ordinary cells that accumulate gradually from birth. Unlike mutations in reproductive cells, these cannot be passed on to children, but they quietly build up in every tissue of the body throughout a person's life.
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The research team developed a mathematical model to calculate how long humans would survive if every other hallmark of ageing were switched off, with somatic mutations left as the sole remaining factor. The result pointed to a median life expectancy of 146 years, with an upper limit approaching 194 years.
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Heart and brain are the weak points
Not all cells in the body are equally vulnerable. Liver cells, for instance, proved surprisingly resilient in the model, theoretically capable of regenerating for over 100,000 years. Brain cells and heart muscle cells told a very different story.
Because neurons and myocardial cells do not divide and replace themselves once formed, any damage they sustain is permanent. The study identified these as ‘critical lifespan bottlenecks,’ meaning when these cells fail, the organs fail, and life ends.
Pharmacist and regenerative medicine researcher Egle Pavyde, who was not involved in the study, noted that the longest-lived person on record died at 122, which suggests somatic mutations are a significant but not sole driver of ageing.
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