According to a statistics report from the National Center for Health, the life expectancy as of 2014 is on average 78.8 years of age. Whereas 100 years ago, the average life expectancy was a mere 51.9 years. Better diets, greater medical knowledge, and improved living conditions are all attributed to the decline in early mortality. With today’s technological improvements, health care and medical attention is more acute and helpful than ever. Here are a few ways technology is improving old age as we know it.

3D Printers
Although 3D printers are beneficial for manufacturing toys, mechanical parts, and even food, doctors are expecting the device to be instrumental in replicating live human organs. In fact, this hope was the primary driving force behind the inception of the 3D printer. Skin, kidneys, heart valves, and several other organs have already been produced, using specialized polymers combined with living cells, and animal tests have been underway for some time. 

Gene Therapy
Researchers have discovered that damaged DNA strands are a major contributor to age progression. By repairing chromosome caps (or telomeres), scientists hope to prevent the devastating symptoms of age, including cardiovascular disease and cognitive illnesses. The procedure was first performed on mice, and later, on humans, most of whom demonstrated improved stamina due to a decrease in muscle loss. 

Disease Prevention
By the end of 2016, doctors are hoping to be well into human testing of a new age-inhibiting medicine. The drug, metformin, which has been helpful in treating diabetes, is expected to become the latest breakthrough in slowing down age. Other programs like those at Longevity Medical Center, work to target underlying causes of symptoms by assisting the body to fight disease on it’s own with comprehensive lab analyses, unlimited doctor access, and scientific supplementation.

Artificial Intelligence
Not only do some scientists believe artificial intelligence is the best hope we have for slowing or stopping the aging process, but it's also expected to become a reality within the next 20 years. The technology will allow a person, particularly one who is nearing the end of life, upload a copy of his or her brain to an avatar through which he or she can experience genuine sensations. 

Solving the "age" problem can lead the world into an era of unimaginable possibilities, including reducing or completely eliminating illnesses that have baffled doctors for as long as any of us can remember. According to some, we could be on the verge of an ageless society as early as the year 2035.