Why we should not characterize aging as disease

UCalgary Philosophy PhD Candidate Ahmed Al-Juhany has published an article titled, Why We Should Not Characterize Aging as a Disease, in the flagship journal, Philosophy of Medicine. The article examines biomedical researchers’ call to classify aging as a disease, and argues against it. 

While advocates believe that classifying aging as a disease would accelerate scientists' efforts to eliminate age-related pathologies, Al-Juhany draws on scientific and philosophical research to argue the classification would likely cause more harm than benefit. He shows it ​would feed into the false narrative that aging is a process of mere decline, potentially exacerbating ageism in the labor market, healthcare, and broader society. 

Al-Juhany also finds no evidence that classification would improve scientific research. He concludes that biomedicine can, and should, carry out its research without classifying aging as a disease. 

The article forms the basis of educational workshops included in the series, Ageful & Proud — Countering Ageism and Embracing Change, which Al-Juhany collaboratively designed with the Art Your Service community. 

A revised version of the article will be included in Al-Juhany's dissertation, How Should We Think About Aging?