Spain is among the world's leaders in life expectancy, with the average now reaching 84 years. Yet this statistic masks a troubling reality: after age 65, nearly half of those years are lived with disease, disability, or loss of independence. The challenge is not merely to extend life but to ensure those extra years are lived with vitality.
At the Ibiza Tech Forum, Cristina Spa, a pharmacist with two decades of experience and founder of C+Longevity, outlined a vision for bridging cutting-edge technology with clinical practice. Her initiative aims to create a safe space for health professionals—doctors, nurses, psychologists, nutritionists—to access accredited training and a robust scientific library, steering longevity medicine away from the casual empiricism of social media.
The Perils of Extreme Biohacking
The democratization of information on social networks has flooded the longevity field with questionable therapies and extreme biohacking—an approach that combines science, technology, nutrition, and habits to optimize performance and lifespan. Without scientific backing, this can be harmful. Spa argues that science must be restored to the center: “Our aim is for health professionals to be the ones helping the public ensure that all this technology applied to the science of longevity really reaches clinical practice.”
A sign of this shift is the emergence of longevity research groups at universities such as Valencia, providing academic endorsement. Spa predicts this will eventually become an official medical specialty in healthy ageing.
Veteran Doctors Lead the Way
Contrary to expectations, it is not young doctors but seasoned specialists who are most interested in longevity medicine. After years in the public health system, they are acutely aware of its structural shortcomings—especially the lack of time for preventive, personalized care that can influence patients' lifestyles. Longevity has also proven cross-cutting, attracting immunologists, endocrinologists, gynaecologists, and even paediatricians. As Spa notes, “longevity is built from the day we are born.”
From Data Overload to Expert Interpretation
Wearable devices track heart rate, sleep quality, and hormonal cycles, but data alone does not guarantee better health. It can even cause chronic stress if users lack the knowledge to interpret it. Spa emphasizes that the real value lies in personalized interpretation by a professional who considers the patient's unique context—environment, workload, personal circumstances. “This responsibility should not be placed on citizens who have not studied medicine. Just as googling symptoms is a mistake, the same goes for health data: we need an expert by our side who knows how to adjust them and act,” she underlines.
Democratising Preventive Medicine
Currently, longevity medicine is costly and hard to access. The health system is reactive: people seek care only after symptoms appear. With an inverted population pyramid, civil society must pressure authorities to shift toward preventive care. As demand grows and more specialists are trained, costs will fall, allowing wider rollout. Spa calls for greater social awareness: just as we fund research into cancer or Alzheimer's, we must invest in understanding the biological mechanisms of ageing. This is the key to tackling age-related diseases at their root and ensuring that final years are lived with energy and vitality.
For more on Spain's demographic challenges, see Pope Leo XIV Urges Spain to Reject Polarisation on First Day of Visit. The country also faces environmental pressures, as Spain Braces for Intense Heatwave as Temperatures Near 40°C.
