Global market to hit US$740bn in 2026, longevity needs lifts? ‘little brain’s’ big role, ageing ethics questioned…and more
IRISH insight and analysis company Research and Markets estimates the global ageing economy will surpass US$740bn this year.
These projections by the company, which is based next to the Guinness Brewery in Dublin, come in its latest paper, entitled: Longevity Market Report 2026-2036.
It takes a holistic view of the ageing economy encompassing consumer wellness, institutional healthcare, technology and regenerative medicine.
In a press release, accompanying the launch Research And Markets, say: “The longevity market is undergoing a structural shift, moving beyond predominantly consumer-driven wellness offerings toward institutionally funded healthcare solutions.
“Insurers, employers, health systems and pharmaceutical companies are increasingly integrating longevity-focused strategies to address the challenges of ageing populations, rising chronic disease burden and long-term cost sustainability.
“This evolution is accelerating demand for integrated platforms that enable early risk identification, targeted prevention and ongoing clinical engagement across the life course.”
Canadian researchers at McGill University say they have found a direct link between age‑related declines in the ‘little brain’ and worsening motor skills.
‘Little brain’ levers
Lead research author Eviatar Fields, a McGill doctoral student in the Integrated Program in Neuroscience, highlights how diminishing neuron activity in the cerebellum – at the base of the skull and known as the little brain – can impact gait, balance and agility.
The research pinpointed how changes in Purkinje cells – a key type of cerebellar neuron – drive this decline and translate into measurable changes in behaviour and physical function.
“By demonstrating how the changes that happen to Purkinje cells in age are causally linked to changes in gait, motor co-ordination and balance, our work provides new avenues for therapies that may prevent or delay motor aging.”
“This provides new hope for extending health span and ultimately improving quality of life and independence in elderly people,” said Mr Fields.
German lift company TK Elevator, is projecting a surge in demand as the global population ages and people find it increasingly difficult to use the stairs.
“As populations age – and that’s happening in Europe, it’s going to happen in China, everywhere else – there’s a need to put in elevators,” said Uday Yadav, its chief executive, speaking to the FT.
Longevity lifts
There are 22 million lifts worldwide, of which 30 per cent are more than 20 years old and potentially ripe to be refitted, he added.
TK Elevator, which was sold by German industrial conglomerate Thyssenkrupp to private equity firms Advent and Cinven for €17.2bn in 2020, is said to be looking at a potential €25bn market listing. Its revenues topped €9bn last year.
Researchers funded by the American Heart Association say the amino acid Taurine increased the life expectancy of mice, and monkeys by up to 25%.
Taurine is one of the most abundant amino acids within our bodies. It is secreted naturally and can be found in foods such as turkey, chicken, shellfish, and dairy.
It has the ability to lower blood pressure, act as an anti-inflammatory agent, and support cardiovascular health, but the concentration within human blood decreases as we age.
As well as longevity, the mice that were fed taurine exhibited improved bone density, muscle mass, pancreas function, and gut health.
Ethical questions
British GP and Medical Director Rammya Mathew has questioned the ethics of longevity highlighting how patients are being charged hefty sums of money ‘for investigations that are often unnecessary, of uncertain benefit, or unsupported by robust evidence’.
She added: “This is framed as empowering patients with knowledge, but it risks crossing the line into over-medicalisation of healthy people.”
The article published in the British Medical Journal continues: “I have watched this field with growing interest, particularly as an increasing number of high profile clinicians, some of whom have held senior roles in the NHS, move into private longevity medicine.
“Practising privately is not unethical in itself. But it does place doctors in an environment where the evidence base is often less clear, commercial pressures are more explicit, and the temptation to conflate innovation with benefit is real.”
Levels of the Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) – a vital coenzyme found in every human cell – are the target of new research by the Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences.
The research published in the Nature Metabolism Journal indicates that certain NAD+ precursors can boost cellular energy levels and influence gut microbiome activity.
The study discovered that NAD+ precursors – nicotinamide riboside (NR), nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) increased circulating NAD+ concentrations.
NAD+ levels decline with age in multiple tissues – muscle, liver, brain and skin – by as much 65% from young adulthood to old age.
This contributes to hallmarks of aging like mitochondrial dysfunction, reduced energy production, impaired DNA repair, increased inflammation, and cellular senescence.
Ongoing research has shown that restoring NAD+ (via precursors) improves mitochondrial function, metabolic health, and resilience.
