Classifying Aging as a Disease in the context of ICD - 11 4 5

16 17 Aging is a complex continuous multifactorial process leading to loss of function and crystalizing 18 into the many age-related diseases. Here, we explore the arguments for classifying aging as a 19 disease in the context of the upcoming World Health Organization's 11th International Statistical 20 Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11), expected to be finalized in 21 2018. We hypothesize that classifying aging as a disease will result in new approaches and 22 business models for addressing aging as a treatable condition, which will lead to both economic 23 and healthcare benefits for all stakeholders. Classification of aging as a disease may lead to more 24 efficient allocation of resources by enabling funding bodies and other stakeholders to use 25 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and healthy-years equivalent (HYE) as metrics when 26 evaluating both research and clinical programs. We propose forming a Task Force to interface 27 the WHO in order to develop a multidisciplinary framework for classifying aging as a disease.