When we talk about longevity, most of us imagine futuristic billionaires searching for ways to live forever. But when I sat down with Dr Guy Benison-Horner, an NHS GP but also a longevity pioneer, I realised longevity medicine is far more human than that. It’s not about adding years to your life; it’s about adding life to your years.
Dr Guy began by making a powerful distinction between lifespan and healthspan. Lifespan is how many years we live, but healthspan is how many of those years we actually live well, disease-free, mobile, and able to enjoy the things that make life worth living. Shockingly, in the UK, our healthspans are shrinking.
Ten years ago, the average Brit could expect around 64 healthy years. Now that number has dropped to about 61.5. That means many of us are spending nearly two decades of our lives in poor health. For women, the gap is even wider, up to twenty years of declining mobility, frailty, and dependence.
As Dr Guy put it, “There’s no point living longer if you can’t enjoy the time you’ve got.”
That truth hit home for me. How many of us are so focused on fixing our health once something goes wrong, the medication, the surgery, the crisis, instead of preventing it in the first place?
A Doctor Who Refused to Accept the Status Quo
Dr Guy’s years in the NHS showed him the reality of our healthcare system: patients arriving too late, when prevention was no longer an option. Half of all strokes and heart attacks, he explained, are caused by untreated or poorly managed high blood pressure. Another third are linked to high cholesterol conditions that could have been managed years earlier with small lifestyle changes or medication.
“I worry that my ten-minute conversation isn’t enough,” he admitted. “That I won’t see them again for five years and that’s five years of preventable damage.”
That frustration became the seed for his new mission: a proactive, preventative approach to medicine, one that doesn’t just extend life but preserves quality of life.
Genomic Medicine: The Future of Personalised Care
One of the most fascinating parts of our conversation was around genomic medicine, the idea that our DNA can reveal which diseases we’re more prone to, and even which medications will work best for us. Imagine skipping years of trial and error, knowing straight away which treatment your body will respond to.
As Dr Guy explained, we’re not quite there yet, the science is still developing, but the promise is huge. From targeting cancers with precision drugs to predicting autoimmune conditions before they take hold, genomic medicine could redefine how we prevent and treat illness.
You Can Change the Curve
As someone who believes in empowerment, I found this deeply hopeful. Yes, we’re all ageing. But how steep that decline is and when it begins, is something we can influence.
Dr Guy shared that muscle mass naturally declines by up to 17 per cent each decade. But by staying active, building strength, and keeping our bodies moving, we can slow that curve dramatically. The goal isn’t to fight ageing, it’s to age well.
And that’s what longevity medicine is really about: not the obsession with eternal youth, but the pursuit of a life that stays rich, capable, and fulfilling for as long as possible.
Listen to the Full Conversation
This episode of The Visionary with Hala Ali left me inspired and a little more determined to take my health seriously now, not later.
If you’ve ever wondered how to truly future-proof your health and live a longer, stronger life, you won’t want to miss this conversation with Dr Guy Benison-Horner.
🎧 Listen to the full episode now.
– Written by host Hala Ali
The Visionary with Hala Ali Podcast 