In January 2026, SPICe published a briefing on Promoting Healthy Ageing in Scotland. The briefing looked at the influence that lifestyle and environment can have on healthy ageing, the current policies to encourage healthy ageing in Scotland and the emerging anti-ageing drugs that could be used to promote healthy ageing. This blog summarises the main points from the briefing.
The original briefing was published by Dr Erin Brown and Dr Joy Edwards-Hicks as part of SPICe’s academic fellowship scheme. As with all SPICe academic fellowship outputs, this blog reflects the views of the original authors, and not those of SPICe or the Scottish Parliament.
Scotland’s Ageing Population and life expectancy
Scotland’s population is ageing. The 2022 Scotland Census revealed Scotland had more than a million people aged 65 and fewer than 750,000 people aged under 15.
An ageing population is driven by people having fewer children, and an increase in life expectancy.
Life expectancy is defined as “the average number of years someone is expected to live from birth.” Linked to life expectancy is Healthy Life Expectancy which is the average number of years that someone can expect to live in good general health, based on self-reported health status.
Life Expectancy in Scotland data shows that Scotland has the lowest life expectancy and male healthy life expectancy in the UK, and life expectancy for both males and females in Scotland is below most West European countries.
Between 2022 – 2024, the life expectancy at birth for females was 83.0 in the UK and 81.1 in Scotland.
In the same time period, the life expectancy at birth for males in the UK was 79.1 and 77.1 in Scotland.
Life expectancy is also impacted by deprivation. People living in the most deprived areas in Scotland can expect to live fewer years – 10 for males and 13 for females. In addition, many more of these years can be expected to be spent in poor health compared to those living in the least deprived areas.
Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy in Scotland are explored further in the SPICe blog Scotland’s life and healthy life expectancy: Key facts and figures
SPICe has also published a life expectancy and healthy life expectancy in Scotland dashboard which allows users to explore data on life expectancy and healthy life expectancy in Scotland.
The Cost of an Ageing Population
Health spending is the largest part of the Scottish Budget and has been growing faster than any other portfolio areas. As Scotland’s population ages and older people tend to have higher healthcare costs, the amount of health and care expenditure is expected to continue to rise, leading to budget pressures in the future.
Based on current trends, health and social care spending is projected to rise from around 40 per cent of Scottish devolved public spending in 2029-30 to almost 55 per cent in 2074-75.
The Scottish Fiscal Commission has suggested that improvements to population health could ease fiscal pressures.
The Ageing Process
Ageing describes a gradual decline in physiological health across an individual’s life span, ultimately leading to decreased physical and mental abilities, a growing risk of disease, and eventually death.
Ageing can impact many systems of the body including:
- the cardiovascular system (which includes the heart, blood vessels and blood which works to deliver oxygen around the body)
- the endocrine system (the production of hormones)
- the gastrointestinal system (the ingestion, digestion, absorption of necessary nutrients and the expulsion of waste)
- the metabolic system (where the body converts our food into energy)
- the haematological system (transporting oxygen and nutrients around the body)
- the immune system
- the musculoskeletal system
- the nervous system
- the skin.
An in-depth explanation of the physiology of ageing can be found in the Medicine Journal.
Biological ageing
Chronological age measures the number of years since birth, while biological age describes the rate that the body is ageing.
There is growing evidence to suggest people biologically age at different rates, affecting their quality of life and risk of disease.
The pace at which an individual biologically ages is influenced by a combination of personal characteristics, their physical environment, social interactions, and, to a lesser extent, their genetic make-up.
People who biologically age at a slower rate will generally experience good health and a higher quality of life in older chronological age. The reverse is true for people who biologically age at a faster rate.
The following factors can help slow the ageing process:
- A healthy diet
- Regular physical activity
- Maintaining social connections
- Reduction of alcohol consumption
Anti-ageing Drugs
Geroscience is a scientific field that studies the fundamental biology of ageing.
The ultimate goal of geroscience is to accelerate research into the basic mechanisms driving ageing, which could lead to the development of anti-ageing drugs.
The use of anti-ageing drugs would mark a shift from treating each age-related medical conditions separately, to treating these conditions together, by targeting ageing itself.
If successfully implemented, geroscience-informed interventions could reduce strain on the NHS, boost workforce productivity, attract investment and reduce health inequalities.
There are some drugs currently in human clinical trials that have the potential to slow biological ageing and the onset of age-associated diseases. These are outlined below.
Metformin
Metformin is a drug prescribed in tablet-form to patients with type II diabetes. It has been considered the front-line therapy for type II diabetes since the 1990s due to its safety and efficacy.
GLP-1 medicines
Initially developed for type II diabetes then obesity, GLP-1 medicines are emerging as promising agents in broadly preventing age-related diseases, including coronary heart disease, chronic kidney disease, liver disease, and neurodegenerative disease
Senolytics
Senolytics are a class of drugs that selectively eliminate Senescent cells – cells that eventually stop multiplying but don’t die off when they should.
Rebecca Bartlett, Enquiries Officer
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