image: Professor Andrea Maier, Director at the Academy for Healthy Longevity, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine).
Credit: NUS Medicine
Understanding public awareness, behaviours, and attitudes toward Healthy Longevity Medicine, also called Precision Geromedicine, is essential for shaping future health strategies. This emerging field aims to optimise health and extend the healthy lifespan by addressing the biological processes of ageing throughout a person's life.
To that end, the NUS Academy for Healthy Longevity at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) has released findings from the first national HELO (HEalthy LOngevity) Survey, a landmark study of more than 3,000 Singapore residents. It reveals a population eager to take charge of ageing - but not yet fully equipped with the tools, literacy, or access needed to do so. While 82% of respondents correctly understood lifespan as the total number of years a person lives, only 43% were familiar with the concept of healthspan - the years lived in good health.
“The results of the HELO (HEalthy LOngevity) survey are both a wake-up call and an opportunity. Singaporeans want to live not just longer, but better, and we now have the science to support that vision,” said Professor Andrea Maier, co-founder and Director, NUS Academy for Healthy Longevity, NUS Medicine.
Despite this limited awareness, the survey uncovered consistently strong public interest in Healthy Longevity Medicine clinics across all age groups. More than half of respondents said they would be willing to attend such clinics, which provide personalised assessments and interventions to optimise health and slow biological ageing.
“While younger adults showed higher conceptual understanding, older respondents also expressed clear enthusiasm, highlighting a key opportunity: with the right education and integration into existing care pathways, Healthy Longevity Medicine can become a widely accepted and scalable pillar of Singapore’s preventive health strategy,” said Dr Vanessa Kristina Wazny, Research Fellow, NUS Academy for Healthy Longevity, NUS Medicine.
Findings from the survey include the following:
- Strong interest in longevity care:
55.5% of the respondents expressed interest in attending a healthy longevity clinic, which provides personalised health assessments and interventions to slow biological ageing.
- Young adults want health, but do not act early:
Adults aged 21-40 reported the lowest rates of preventive behaviours such as screenings or regular doctor visits, despite being the most health-conscious and growth-oriented group.
- Older adults engage more in healthy behaviours:
Those above 50 years old were most likely to exercise regularly, maintain balanced diets, and undergo annual health checks.
- Ageism is a cross-generational issue:
Nearly 50% of all respondents reported experiencing ageism, and 15% described it as significant. This is based on their response to statements defined by WHO, such as “Due to my age, I limit my participation in discussions even when they are about things that affect me”, “Others make decisions for me because of my age”, and more.
- People want government leadership in health:
Many respondents supported government responsibility for guiding health choices, with older adults especially supportive of programmes like Healthier SG.
The HELO survey found a clear trend across age groups: older Singaporeans are much more likely to take care of their health by eating well, exercising regularly, and seeing a doctor for check-ups. More older adults also go for annual health screenings.
Lara Bruschinski, visiting scholar, NUS Academy for Healthy Longevity, NUS Medicine, added, “In contrast, younger adults are less likely to do them, which highlights the potential of missing opportunities to detect health issues early. Our findings suggest a need for policies that make screenings easier and encourage people under 40 years old to start healthy habits sooner.”
The survey findings form the basis for a paper that calls for the establishment of a new discipline, Healthy Longevity Medicine (also known as Precision Geromedicine) that focuses on slowing biological ageing through interventions such as lifestyle optimisation, gerotherapeutics, and biological age monitoring.
To translate these insights into impact, the HELO paper outlines seven key policy recommendations:
- Establish healthy longevity clinics through academic centres and pilot programmes in community settings.
- Integrate longevity medicine into the Healthier SG initiative, making it accessible to all life stages.
- Launch a national education campaign to improve public understanding of healthspan, biological ageing, and early intervention.
- Subsidise preventive screenings for adults under 45 years old, expanding early detection of metabolic and age-related risks.
- Combat ageism through intergenerational programmes and inclusive narratives in media, policy, and healthcare.
- Invest in geroscience research, enabling safe and equitable scaling of health innovations.
- Leverage digital health tools like AI-driven risk assessments and remote monitoring to scale services and personalise care.
These strategies aim to reduce healthcare costs, close equity gaps, and improve quality of life across generations.
Singapore's proactive approach to healthcare and people’s strong trust in government programmes position the country as a global leader in the emerging field of healthy longevity.
The HELO Survey contributes to an international research consortium spanning eight countries, helping to inform global policy and clinical strategies. Its design is grounded in the latest scientific literature on geroscience, public attitudes toward ageing, and Precision Geromedicine. The conceptual framework and study methodology are described in peer-reviewed publications, including GeroScience, Cell, and SMA News, laying the academic foundation for policy and clinical translation in this emerging field (see references). The Survey builds on qualitative insights from earlier focus group work and is detailed on the official HELO website at helo-nus.com.