Over the last decades, considerable medical progress has been made in eliminating or alleviating the effects of human illnesses, thus prolonging the life spans of many people in the United States (U.S.). The invention of new technologies, medications and procedures has radically increased the effectiveness of the treatment of previously lethal diseases (Cutler 45-56). Only a century ago, people frequently died from diseases such as influenza, tuberculosis and gastrointestinal disorders. These diseases no longer posed a significant mortality threat in contemporary society. Moreover, even though heart disease still constitutes the primary cause of death in the U.S., doctors have been able to prolong the lives of these patients by increasing their likelihood of surviving a heart attack and controlling its effects through procedures such as angioplasty and medications. The availability of laser and ultrasonic technologies that are less invasive have also increased the utilization and effectiveness of surgical procedures (The Institute for Research on Women and Gender 7).
The effects of medical research on life expectancy will be even more pronounced with rapid advances made in biomedical research. Cellular and molecular scientists such as Lenny Guarante from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and David Sinclair from Harvard Medical School are engaged in the creation of drugs that will retard the process of aging (Aaron and Schwartz 36). Already, these scientists have been successful in extending the life span of yeast cells, worms and lab mice by five times. Apart from increasing the length of the lifespan, these researchers believe that their discoveries will also improve the quality of health for the elderly health and minimize the time span of the final period of death when the elderly tend to incur the highest medical costs (Dominus).
However, while advances in medical research and procedures have helped ex...