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  • NATURE INDEX

Is ageing a disease? The debate that could reshape medicine

Classifying ageing as a disease might bring funding and other benefits, say some researchers, but others say this is fraught with ethical and regulatory implications.
By
  1. Rachel Nuwer

    1. Rachel Nuwer is a freelance writer based in New York City.

The study of ageing has shifted from a niche pursuit to a major area of research. Over the past two decades, scientists have flooded the field, determined to unlock the secret to a longer, healthier life. “Various people have started to think we could intervene in the ageing process and extend lifespan. [The field] has really exploded because of that view,” says Alan Cohen, a biologist at Columbia University in New York City.

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Nature 647, S8-S11 (2025)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-03525-3

This article is part of Nature Index 2025 Ageing, an editorially independent supplement. Advertisers have no influence over the content. For more information about Nature Index, see the homepage.

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