As it is well known, in the 2000s the average lifespan reached unhoped-for values compared to those of the early 20th century. This incredible achievement was the combined result of improved living conditions and constant medical advancements, which together have contributed to a significant reduction in mortality. The sharp decline in infant mortality led to a general aging of the population and consequently to the great challenge of keeping the elderly healthy and self-sufficient for as long as possible. In Italy, 30% of the over-65s are not affected by any major condition and 20% have a chronic disease with no particular effects on their physical and cognitive functions, while 50% have multiple chronic morbidities that - in at least 40% of cases -result in consequent mobility problems or difficulties in performing everyday activities. The Italian data presented here do not differ much from those of other industrialised countries in Europe and North America. Studies show that every one out of two elderly people is at risk for "frailty", which is regression to a weak, childlike state, exhibiting behaviours such as communication difficulties, lack of self-sufficiency, crying, incontinence, frequent falls. An important aspect of becoming a healthier elderly person is the attention to the care and feeding of children. In fact, it has been hypothesised that poor nutrition of the fetus and infant could be the cause of permanent changes in specific organs and tissues. For example, in a clinical trial, the altered development of pancreas due to inadequate early feeding resulted in increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes and related metabolic complications, with health impacts for the patient and economic consequences for the community at large. In conclusion, these two ages, normally viewed as opposites, prove to be similar enough to the point where a strong connection can be made between paediatrics and geriatrics. The above lays the groundwork for addressing issues related to the aging process through the consideration of an individual's life as a whole, abandoning the previous method of dividing life into stages with the aim of developing increasingly personalised and biologically-driven health care.

中文翻译：

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从小就获得健康，以获得多年（和质量）的生活！

众所周知，与 20 世纪初相比，2000 年代的平均寿命达到了意想不到的值。这一令人难以置信的成就是生活条件改善和医疗不断进步的综合结果，这共同促成了死亡率的显着降低。婴儿死亡率的急剧下降导致人口普遍老龄化，因此面临着尽可能长时间保持老年人健康和自给自足的巨大挑战。在意大利，30% 的 65 岁以上的人没有受到任何重大疾病的影响，20% 的人患有对其身体和认知功能没有特别影响的慢性病，​​而 50% 的人患有多种慢性病，其中至少 40%案例 - 导致行动不便或难以进行日常活动。这里提供的意大利数据与欧洲和北美其他工业化国家的数据差别不大。研究表明，每两个老年人中就有一个存在“虚弱”的风险，即退化为一种虚弱、孩子气的状态，表现出沟通困难、缺乏自给自足、哭闹、大小便失禁、经常跌倒等行为。成为一个更健康的老年人的一个重要方面是关注儿童的照顾和喂养。事实上，据推测，胎儿和婴儿营养不良可能是特定器官和组织发生永久性变化的原因。例如，在一项临床试验中，由于早期喂养不足导致胰腺发育改变，导致对 2 型糖尿病和相关代谢并发症的易感性增加，对患者的健康影响和对整个社区的经济后果。总之，这两个通常被视为对立面的年龄被证明足够相似，以至于儿科和老年科之间可以建立紧密的联系。以上为通过考虑个人的整个生命来解决与衰老过程相关的问题奠定了基础，摒弃了以前将生命划分为阶段的方法，目的是发展越来越个性化和生物驱动的医疗保健。