Living to 100 -- Easier Than You Think?

Feb. 11, 2008— -- CHICAGO (AP) - Living to 100 is easier than you might think.

Surprising new research suggests that even people who developheart disease or diabetes late in life have a decent shot atreaching the century mark.

"It has been generally assumed that living to 100 years of agewas limited to those who had not developed chronic illness," saidDr. William Hall of the University of Rochester.

Hall has a theory for how these people could live to that age.In an editorial in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine, wherethe study was published, he writes that it might be thanks todoctors who aggressively treat these older folks' health problems,rather than taking an "ageist" approach that assumes theywouldn't benefit.

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

But the rest, dubbed "survivors," had developed an age-relateddisease before reaching 85, including high blood pressure, heartdisease or diabetes. Yet many functioned remarkably well - nearlyas well as their disease-free peers.

Overall, the men were functioning better than the women. Nearlythree-fourths of the male survivors could bathe and dressthemselves, while only about one-third of the women could.

The researchers think that may be because the men had to be inexceptional condition to reach 100. "Women, on the other hand, maybe better physically and socially adept at living with chronic andoften disabling conditions," wrote lead author Dr. Dellara Terryand her colleagues.

Rosa McGee is one of the healthy women in the study who managedto avoid chronic disease. Now 104, the retired cook and seamstressis also strikingly lucid.

"My living habits are beautiful," McGee said in an interviewat her daughter's Chicago apartment. "I don't take any medicines.I don't smoke and I don't drink. Never did anything like that."

Until late 2006, when she fell in her St. Louis home, McGeelived alone and took care of herself. Now in Chicago, she is lessmobile but still takes walks a few times weekly down the apartmentbuilding hallways, with her daughter's help.

McGee credits her faith in God for her good health. She alsogets lots of medical attention - a doctor and nurse make homevisits regularly.

Genes surely contributed - McGee's maternal grandparents livedto age 100 and 107.

But while genes are important, scientists don't think they tellthe whole story about longevity.

A second, larger study of men in their 70s found that those whoavoided smoking, obesity, inactivity, diabetes and high bloodpressure greatly improved their chances of living into their 90s.In fact, they had a 54 percent chance of living that long.

Their survival decreased with each risk factor, and those withall five had only a 4 percent chance of living into their 90s,according to Harvard University researchers.

Those who managed to avoid lifestyle-related ailments alsoincreased their chances of functioning well physically and mentallytwo decades later.

The study followed 2,357 men for about 25 years or until death,starting in their early 70s. About 40 percent survived to at leastage 90. Among survivors, 24 percent had none of the five riskfactors.

"It's not just luck, it's not just genetics. ... It'slifestyle" that seems to make a big difference, said lead authorDr. 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. "These are some things you can do" to increase thechances of a long life.

Yates said it's never too late to adopt a healthier lifestyle,though the findings don't address whether waiting until age 70 tostop smoking, lose weight and exercise will increase longevity.

Hall noted that the United States has more than 55,000centenarians, and that Americans 85 and older are the country'sfastest-growing group of older adults.

He said the new research underscores how important it is fordoctors to become adept at treating the oldest of the old, who are"becoming the bread and butter of the clinical practice ofinternal medicine."

---

On the Net:

Archives of Internal Medicine: http://www.archinternmed.com

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)