HBO.com

Could people soon live as long as True Blood's vampire Eric?

Want to live 150 years? You may be in luck. According to biomedical gerontologist and chief scientist Aubrey de Grey, the first person who will live to be 150 is already walking among us. However, 150 years is just a blink of the eye to the 1,000 year lifespan de Grey predicts is coming soon. According to the Cambridge University doctor, the first person to live for 1,000 years could be born as early as 2031.

"I'd say we have a 50/50 chance of bringing aging under what I'd call a decisive level of medical control within the next 25 years or so," de Grey said in an interview with Reuters. "And what I mean by decisive is the same sort of medical control that we have over most infectious diseases today."

According to Reuters, de Grey envisions a world where patients will go to their doctors for regular “maintenance,” much in the same way auto owners take their vehicle in for a tune up. However, instead of oil changes and tire rotations humans will receive gene therapies, stem cell therapies, and a host of other advanced medical procedures to keep them in tip top shape (I wonder if HMOs will cover that).

If you're worried about a world full of ailing grannies or gramps de Grey says not to worry. The technology the scientist hopes to develop will ensure that the world’s seniors will not suffer from the ailments common to old age. This protection from age-related killers like heart disease and stroke is what will keep gramps and gram alive to see their great great great (and so on) grandchildren.

"There really shouldn't be any limit imposed by how long ago you were born,” de Grey said. “The whole point of maintenance is that it works indefinitely."

For now, the official record for the world’s longest-living person is 122.

What do you think? Does the idea of living 150 (or more) years sound exciting or does it sound a bit overwhelming? That's one hell of a retirement plan to save up for.

Tags: health, medical technology, aubrey de grey, live 150 years, live 1000 years
Categories: Men's health