EditorialHKUST study to decode longevity is the stuff of frontier science

Why do Hongkongers keep living longer and topping longevity tables? The proportion of those 85 and older is growing rapidly. Experts and older people themselves advance any number of explanations, including diet, exercise and a good health system. The question has also focused attention on the resilience of older Hongkongers – many of whom were survivors of wartime and post-war hardships.

Ip added that the research team also aimed to establish a biological sample database specifically for long-lived Chinese individuals, which would lay a solid foundation for future research.

The initiative deserves praise for its ambition. Hong Kong consistently ranks No 1 for longevity. Policymakers have to keep pace with the demands of an ageing population amid a low birth rate. By focusing on biological markers of resilience in the oldest old, HKUST is positioning itself at the frontier of ageing science not long after being chosen to set up the city’s third medical school.

If successful, the study could help lay the groundwork for personalised health management strategies, potentially revolutionising how societies approach ageing.

However, longevity is not purely biological – it is also shaped by social structures, diet, exercise, the environment and inequality. A study centred on biomarkers does not discount broader factors. But it could make another dimension of management of healthy ageing accessible to all.