Healthspan
Clinical reviewer: Jacob Moore, MD · Last checked September 22, 2026
What is healthspan?
Healthspan is the portion of life spent free of significant disease or disability, as distinct from lifespan. A 2025 systematic review found no single agreed definition: out of 14,551 records screened, 207 met inclusion criteria and 187 gave a definition of healthspan, with 113 treated as primary definitions. Researchers are still working toward a consensus.
How do researchers define healthspan?
A 2025 systematic review of healthspan definitions screened 14,551 records; 207 met the inclusion criteria and 187 articles gave a definition, of which 113 were considered primary [1]. The review found healthspan definitions varied widely, generally describing the absence of disease or disability, and concluded that a consensus on the definition and operationalization of healthspan is urgently needed [1].
How is healthspan actually measured in research?
Because no single definition exists, researchers use different stand-ins. The 2025 review found healthspan was typically operationalized by measuring the onset of chronic disease, disability or performance limitations, and only two definitions included subjective measures such as quality of life [1]. The 2019 paper describing the GrimAge epigenetic clock reports that it predicts time to death, coronary heart disease and cancer, and its title describes it as predicting both lifespan and healthspan [2]. A mouse study of senolytic drugs measured healthspan through physical function and survival [3], and a trial of an NAD+ precursor supplement used a blood-based biological age calculator as one of its outcome measures [4].
Related terms
Sources
- Masfiah S et al. Definitions of healthspan, a systematic review. Ageing Res Rev, 2025.
- Lu AT et al. DNA methylation GrimAge strongly predicts lifespan and healthspan. Aging, 2019.
- Xu M et al. Senolytics improve physical function and increase lifespan in old age. Nat Med, 2018.
- Yi L et al. The efficacy and safety of β-nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) supplementation in healthy middle-aged adults, a randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, dose-dependent clinical trial. Geroscience, 2023.
This entry is for education and is not medical advice. Talk with a licensed clinician about your own situation before starting, stopping, or changing any treatment.
