by Dr. Stephen Cooghan
We often talk about lifespan — how long we live. The more important question is healthspan — how long we remain well, independent and mentally sharp.
In Warrington, average life expectancy is around 79 years for men and 82 for women, broadly in line with national figures. However, healthy life expectancy — the years lived without significant illness or disability — is notably lower. Many people are living longer, but spending more of those later years coping with chronic disease.
The principal drivers are well established: cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and cognitive decline. These conditions do not appear overnight. They develop quietly over decades before symptoms emerge, often signalled only by gradual changes in blood pressure, cholesterol or glucose levels.
The encouraging truth is that much of this risk is measurable and modifiable — both across communities and at an individual level.
Muscle mass is one of the strongest predictors of healthy ageing. From our forties onwards, we naturally lose muscle unless we actively maintain it. Reduced muscle is linked to frailty, insulin resistance and loss of independence. Two to three sessions of resistance training per week — alongside regular walking or aerobic activity — is not about appearance; it is about preserving strength, metabolic resilience and functional capacity into later life.
Metabolic health sits at the centre of disease prevention. Waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose and cholesterol provide early warning of future cardiovascular risk. Improving these markers is rarely complicated: consistent physical activity, prioritising whole foods over ultra-processed options, moderating refined carbohydrates, maintaining adequate protein intake and sustaining a healthy body composition all improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation. Even modest weight reduction can significantly lower blood pressure and improve glucose control.
Substance use remains a major determinant of healthspan. Smoking is still the leading preventable cause of premature death in the UK. Alcohol increases cancer risk even at relatively low levels, and recreational drugs carry both immediate and longer-term cardiovascular and mental health consequences.
Sleep and stress are frequently underestimated. Chronic sleep deprivation disrupts metabolic regulation, raises blood pressure and drives inflammation. Persistent stress produces similar physiological effects through sustained cortisol elevation. Seven to eight hours of consistent, restorative sleep — alongside practical stress management — is protective.
Social connection and emotional wellbeing also matter. Strong relationships, community involvement and a sense of purpose are consistently linked with lower mortality and better mental health. Isolation and chronic emotional strain carry measurable health risks.
Importantly, these habits begin early. Children who grow up active, eating well, emotionally supported and socially connected are more likely to carry those patterns into adulthood. Preventive health starts in childhood.
That said, it is never too late to change course. The body retains remarkable capacity to respond to improved nutrition, increased activity and smoking cessation, even later in life.
Longevity is not simply about adding years. It is about ensuring those years remain active, independent and purposeful.
