Surprising New Longevity Research

So you want to live to be 100? It might be easier than you think - if you follow the rules you already know and if you have a physician who believes in treating old people as aggressively as the young.

According to two new studies published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine (subscription required), even people with heart disease or diabetes can live to a riper old age than previously believed.

“For the study, Boston University researchers did phone interviews and health assessments of more than 500 women and 200 men who had reached 100. They found that roughly two-thirds of them had avoided significant age-related ailments.

“But the rest, dubbed ‘survivors,’ had developed an age-related disease before reaching 85, including high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes. Yet many functioned remarkably well – nearly as well as their disease-free peers.”

- Yahoo News, 12 February 2008

Almost three-quarters of the men in the study functioned better than women with most able to to bathe and dress themselves. Only a third of the women could.

“The researchers think that may be because the men had to be in exceptional condition to reach 100. ‘Women, on the other hand, may be better physically and socially adept at living with chronic and often disabling conditions,’ wrote lead author Dr. Dellare Terry and her colleague.”

- Yahoo News, 12 February 2008

Only men were followed in the second study, 2,357 of them for 25 years or until death beginning in their early 70s. Forty percent survived at least to age 90.

“’It’s not just luck, it’s not just genetics…It’s lifestyle’ that seems to make a big difference, said lead author Dr. Laurel Yates of Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. ‘It’s get your shoes on, get out there, and do some exercise,’ she said.”

- Yahoo News, 12 February 2008

“’Smoking, diabetes, obesity and hypertension significantly reduced the likelihood of a 90-year lifespan, while regular exercise substantially improved it,’ Yates said.

- Guardian UK, 12 February 2008

Dr. Yates and her colleagues were willing to put numbers to risk factors for longevity or lack of it. They estimated that a 70-year-old man who did not smoke, maintained normal weight and blood pressure, exercised two to four times a week and was diabetes free has a 54 percent chance of living to age 90.

Adverse risk factors, however, cut his chances of living that long depending on which factor is in play. Each one reduces the 54 percent as follows:

• Sedentary lifestyle reduced the chances of living to 90 from 54 to 44 percent


• High blood pressure reduced it to 36 percent


• Obesity, 26 percent


• Smoking, 22 percent


• Three factors together, such as sedentary lifestyle, obesity and diabetes, 14 percent


• Five factors, 4 percent

- Medical News Today, 12 February 2008

Aside from what we can do for ourselves to extend our healthy lives, the medical community needs to adjust their attitude too.

"To the extend that physicians use old age as the explanation for ailments and illnesses, they assume that nothing can be done about the ailment and that improvement is unlikely," writes Erdman B. Palmore. "These negative attitudes may also convince their patients that nothing can be done and thus destroy the motivation necessary for patients' recovery."

- Encyclopedia of Ageism, 2005 - p.161

In an editorial in Archives of Internal Medicine where the two studies were published, Dr. William Hall of the University of Rochester writes:

“’It has been generally assumed that living to 100 years of age was limited to those who had not developed chronic illness.

“Hall has a theory for how these people could live to that age...it might be thanks to doctors who aggressively treat these older folks’ health problems, rather than taking an ‘ageist’ approach that assumes they wouldn’t benefit.”

- Yahoo News, 12 February 2008

[Hat tip to Kyrielle.]

[At The Elder Storytelling Place today, a special announcement.]

Comments

[Ernestine]

Interesting
I am thinking what does this third age have in store for me.
I sit here and smile as I am not the same person. I am no longer a daughter, grandaughter or a wife. No longer a woman with a stressful career.
I am a mother and grandmother.
Finally in a smaller retirement home for 7 months that I supervised being built. What does my future hold. Inside I am at peace a part of me is excited about the future. I almost find that strange this early morning.
I want all the universe has in store for me.
Have always exercised, never smoked, 110 lb with a nonstop personality. I have developed high blood pressure that escalates drastically under stress.
I am trying to practice mindfulness, slow down in all areas of my life.
I know it is important to me that I be able to take care of myself and not be a burden to my children.
My favorite aunt is 94 in a retirement home and when I check in with her she knows more about what is going on locally and in the world then I do.
I want so some trips to the ocean.
Maybe it will happen in this third age.

[Sonia]

Great post! Thank you for sharing!

[Mage Bailey]

Ah, three of the five.......you bet I am heading for the front door right now. Thank you.

[Matias]

I am of the view that it is possible to live healthily to 100 and beyond, I feel that scientific knowledge and technology are getting to the point where it is realistic to identify what is breaking down with aging and fix it, or at least delay it a while longer.

[Rabon]

It has long been of interest to me that the Biblical dictate (Genesis 6:3) granting human beings a life span (which is different from life expectancy) of 120 years was identical to that arrived at by medical science a few thousand years later.

This is by no means a religious statement on my part, just a matter of curiosity for all that we instinctively seem to know about ourselves. And, it seems we may someday reach that average span, in fact, IF, we find a way to allow ourselves the sanity of peace in a sustainable world.

[Beverly]

Ernestine, this is for you...you need to start a blog too. I so enjoy your comments and think you too have alot of wisdom for all of us.
Ronni, I am so glad I get to check in each day and find the up to date info to keep me reading til I am 100...

[Fran aka Redondowriter]

Ronni, excellent and thought-provoking post. I'll generate a few things this weekend for you to consider at the Elder Storytelling Place. I assumed you had hundreds of entries backed up.

I did hear a story on NPR this morning about the longevity topic. I had a Valentines lunch today with a very spritely 88 year old woman who worked at my school until she was 86. She's a walker--a full hour each day--lives on her own in a second story apartment without elevators. She's amazing. I don't smoke, I don't drink (much anyhow), my blood pressure is good, cholesterol good with meds, but I'm some overweight and I definitely don't get enough exercise. You've given me food for thought.

And Ernestine's comment--unbelievably wonderful!

[Claudia]

Whoa! Fabuloso data. You rock, Ronni :)

[Joy D]

Well, I need to make some changes! Thanks for this.

[Matias]

@Rabon
The oldest documented person actually reached 122 (Jeanne Calment), so 120 is not the maximum life span of a human.
I am not a theological but after having a look it is possible that the 120 years may be a reference to 120 years before the flood rather than the maximum age of man.

Also all the ages in the bible which are past 120 years may be because of a mistranslation where lunar cycles are being counted not yearly cycles, once this is taken into account the ages fall well below the 120 years. So Methuselah comes in at more like 80 years old.

[Rabon]

Dear Friend; “There is a place beyond the field of right and wrong, I’ll meet you there.” Please, do not confuse your opinion with my reality.

I do not believe the parts of a dissected bird will reveal the sum total of its capacity for flight. Nor do I interpret “lifespan” in such an exacting way as you. As stated in what I wrote: “we may someday reach that average span.” Nor do I interpret “mortal” as the time remaining to all mankind before the flood, but as the approximate potential given to an average human life cycle (which would not necessarily be to the minute, day, week, month or year). We are simply different, as the poet and the scientist are different, and I am thankful for it.

[EMarie]

I've seen how many people live
into their later retirement years
and my feeling is this: If I can
live with HEALTH beyond 100, I would want to live that long. Also, has anyone explored the benefits ofHimalayan Goji juice in staying young and healthy as we age?

Another way to stay healthy is
to exercise and I've heard,
seen, and experienced what Hot Power Yoga can do for that and it's amazing.

And, if you have a personal trainer you might be healthier as
you aga--in fact, I just saw an
ONLINE physical fitness trainer article in a publication www.babybloomermagazine.com
where you can ASK the trainer
right online and for free.