People around the world collectively spend billions of dollars each year on products and services designed to extend their lives. But if they funnel all that money, time, and energy into the pursuit of longevity—only to reach those extra years and realize they’re not exactly enjoying them—what’s the point?

Such is the dilemma that inspired Dr. Kerry Burnight, a geriatrician who’s treated thousands of older patients, to coin the term “joyspan”—what she sees as the third piece of the longevity puzzle, alongside “lifespan” (how many years you live) and “healthspan” (how many of them are spent in good health). Joyspan, as its name suggests, describes the experience of well-being and satisfaction in longevity.

“What motivated me is watching all the suffering,” Burnight says. “For the first

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