Singaporeans are living longer, but not necessarily healthier. Can science close the gap?
Scientists are studying how lifestyle, biological age and early intervention could help people stay healthier for longer.
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SINGAPORE: Singapore needs to better understand the ageing process to identify health risks earlier and, where possible, use science to shift the focus from treating disease to preventing it, said Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Tan See Leng.
Speaking at an event on how science and research can support healthy longevity on Tuesday (Aug 11), Dr Tan said the country would continue to invest in research and development while strengthening partnerships among researchers, clinicians and companies.
“As Singapore continues to age, there will not be a single breakthrough that transforms healthy longevity overnight,” he said.
“Progress will come through sustained scientific discovery, rigorous research, strong partnerships, and a willingness to translate knowledge into solutions that improve people’s lives.”
HOW LONG DO WE STAY HEALTHY?
Singaporeans are living longer than ever, but that does not necessarily mean more years spent in good health, experts said.
Life expectancy for Singapore residents rose to 83.9 years in 2025, from 83.7 years the year before, according to the Department of Statistics.
Women continue to live longer than men, with an average life expectancy of 86 years, compared with 81.8 years for men.
But as people live longer, health problems can accumulate – shifting the focus to healthspan, or the number of years spent in good health.
The Ministry of Health estimates that Singaporeans spend about 75 years in good health.
According to a recent study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, the gap between lifespan and healthspan has widened by more than two years from 1990 to 2023. Women also spent more years in poor health than men.
This means many Singaporeans could spend close to a decade of their lives dealing with ill health, frailty or disability.
WHY ARE SINGAPOREANS LIVING LONGER?
Part of the reason is that potentially fatal health problems are being detected and treated earlier.
Better management of chronic diseases and a more integrated healthcare system have helped tackle conditions such as cancer and heart disease, while advances in medicine and technology have improved early disease detection.
But while these developments are helping people live longer, non-fatal health problems can be harder to address.
Physical and mental health conditions can accumulate over adulthood, leading to prolonged pain, disability and a poorer quality of life.
The challenge, then, is to prevent or delay these problems so that gains in lifespan are matched by gains in healthspan.
CAN LIFESTYLE MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
An 11-year study that followed 5,409 Singaporeans suggests that everyday habits are linked to differences in biological age – an indication of how quickly a person’s body is ageing.
The study was conducted by researchers from NUS Medicine and NUS Institute for Health Innovation and Technology (iHealthtech), under the Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Studies (SLAS).
Smoking and obesity were consistently associated with an older biological age.
Regular exercise, eating plant-based foods and drinking green tea, on the other hand, were associated with a younger biological age.
There are now tools that aim to give people a clearer picture of how their bodies may be ageing.
One such assessment tool, AgeQ, uses routine blood test results to estimate a person’s biological age, offering earlier insights into potential health risks and encouraging people to take steps to improve their health.
AgeQ draws on the SLAS study, and has also been validated using populations in the United States and United Kingdom.
Dr Tan Min-Han, founding CEO of precision health company Lucence Group, which worked with local researchers to develop the test, said understanding one’s biological age could make the concept of healthy ageing more tangible.
“It’s really about making sure that the person takes control of his or her own health, and it begins first from understanding how that person is ageing,” he added.
He cautioned, however, that no single metric can capture how every organ in the body is ageing.
“We should be mindful in looking at a single number versus obviously a more comprehensive review of our health,” he said.
HOW DO WE CLOSE THAT GAP?
Experts say studies support the importance of looking after one’s health earlier in life, rather than waiting until old age.
That includes eating well and staying physically active, as well as managing stress and mental well-being.
Financial security and community support can also all play a role in helping people remain healthy and independent for longer.
Dr Cyrus Ho, assistant professor at NUS Medicine, said greater efforts to improve work-life balance and help people manage stress could contribute to better health.
Having priorities outside work is also important, he said, along with economic stability and adequate housing, which can provide greater psychosocial stability.
“People are generally more aware about their health, so they are taking more proactive steps to take care of themselves,” he added.
Source: CNA/ca(mp)
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