The "geroscience hypothesis" postulates that aging itself is a common underlying risk factor for susceptibility to various aging-related chronic diseases [1]. Life expectancy for the US population in 2022 was found to be 77.5 years, a 1.1-year increase from 2021, and the top causes of death were attributed to common aging-related chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and liver and kidney diseases, among others [2]. A recent study also estimated that a populational increase in life expectancy by a year is associated with $38 trillion in healthcare costs [3]. Delaying the aging process and promoting healthy aging is expected to reduce the incidence or severity of chronic diseases widely.

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[1] Sierra F, Kohanski R. Geroscience and the trans-NIH Geroscience Interest Group, GSIG. Geroscience. 2017 Feb;39(1):1-5. doi: 10.1007/s11357-016-9954-6. PMID: 28299635; PMCID: PMC5352582.

[2] Xu J, Murphy SL, Kochanek KD, Arias E. Mortality in the United States, 2021. NCHS Data Brief. 2022 Dec;(456):1-8. PMID: 36598387.

[3] Scott AJ, Ellison M, Sinclair DA. The economic value of targeting aging. Nat Aging. 2021 Jul;1(7):616-623. doi: 10.1038/s43587-021-00080-0. Epub 2021 Jul 5. PMID: 37117804; PMCID: PMC10154220.

Figure from: Tsurumi A and Li WX. Adv Genet. 2020 Aug 10;1(1):e10026. doi: 10.1002/ggn2.10026.