Reaching 100 is easier than suspected

By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer 48 minutes a!

"#I"A$% & Li'in t! ()) is easier t*an y!u mi*t t*in+, Sur-risin ne. researc* suests t*at
e'en -e!-le .*! de'el!- *eart disease !r dia/etes late in li0e *a'e a decent s*!t at reac*in t*e
century mar+,
1It *as /een enerally assumed t*at li'in t! ()) years !0 ae .as limited t! t*!se .*! *ad n!t
de'el!-ed c*r!nic illness,1 said Dr, William #all !0 t*e 2ni'ersity !0 R!c*ester,
#all *as a t*e!ry 0!r *!. t*ese -e!-le c!uld li'e t! t*at ae, In an edit!rial in M!nday3s Arc*i'es
!0 Internal Medicine, .*ere t*e study .as -u/lis*ed, *e .rites t*at it mi*t /e t*an+s t! d!ct!rs
.*! aressi'ely treat t*ese !lder 0!l+s3 *ealt* -r!/lems, rat*er t*an ta+in an 1aeist1 a--r!ac*
t*at assumes t*ey .!uldn3t /ene0it,
4!r t*e study, B!st!n 2ni'ersity researc*ers did -*!ne inter'ie.s and *ealt* assessments !0
m!re t*an 5)) .!men and 6)) men .*! *ad reac*ed ()), T*ey 0!und t*at r!u*ly t.!&t*irds !0
t*em *ad a'!ided sini0icant ae&related ailments,
But t*e rest, du//ed 1sur'i'!rs,1 *ad de'el!-ed an ae&related disease /e0!re reac*in 85,
includin *i* /l!!d -ressure, *eart disease !r dia/etes, Yet many 0uncti!ned remar+a/ly .ell 7
nearly as .ell as t*eir disease&0ree -eers,
%'erall, t*e men .ere 0uncti!nin /etter t*an t*e .!men, Nearly t*ree&0!urt*s !0 t*e male
sur'i'!rs c!uld /at*e and dress t*emsel'es, .*ile !nly a/!ut !ne&t*ird !0 t*e .!men c!uld,
T*e researc*ers t*in+ t*at may /e /ecause t*e men *ad t! /e in e8ce-ti!nal c!nditi!n t! reac*
()), 1W!men, !n t*e !t*er *and, may /e /etter -*ysically and s!cially ade-t at li'in .it* c*r!nic
and !0ten disa/lin c!nditi!ns,1 .r!te lead aut*!r Dr, Dellara Terry and *er c!lleaues,
R!sa Mc$ee is !ne !0 t*e *ealt*y .!men in t*e study .*! manaed t! a'!id c*r!nic disease,
N!. ()4, t*e retired c!!+ and seamstress is als! stri+inly lucid,
1My li'in *a/its are /eauti0ul,1 Mc$ee said in an inter'ie. at *er dau*ter3s "*ica! a-artment,
1I d!n3t ta+e any medicines, I d!n3t sm!+e and I d!n3t drin+, Ne'er did anyt*in li+e t*at,1
2ntil late 6))9, .*en s*e 0ell in *er St, L!uis *!me, Mc$ee li'ed al!ne and t!!+ care !0 *ersel0,
N!. in "*ica!, s*e is less m!/ile /ut still ta+es .al+s a 0e. times .ee+ly d!.n t*e a-artment
/uildin *all.ays, .it* *er dau*ter3s *el-,
Mc$ee credits *er 0ait* in $!d 0!r *er !!d *ealt*, S*e als! ets l!ts !0 medical attenti!n 7 a
d!ct!r and nurse ma+e *!me 'isits reularly,
$enes surely c!ntri/uted 7 Mc$ee3s maternal rand-arents li'ed t! ae ()) and ():,
But .*ile enes are im-!rtant, scientists d!n3t t*in+ t*ey tell t*e .*!le st!ry a/!ut l!ne'ity,
A sec!nd, larer study !0 men in t*eir :)s 0!und t*at t*!se .*! a'!ided sm!+in, !/esity,
inacti'ity, dia/etes and *i* /l!!d -ressure reatly im-r!'ed t*eir c*ances !0 li'in int! t*eir ;)s,
In 0act, t*ey *ad a 54 -ercent c*ance !0 li'in t*at l!n,
T*eir sur'i'al decreased .it* eac* ris+ 0act!r, and t*!se .it* all 0i'e *ad !nly a 4 -ercent c*ance
!0 li'in int! t*eir ;)s, acc!rdin t! #ar'ard 2ni'ersity researc*ers,
T*!se .*! manaed t! a'!id li0estyle&related ailments als! increased t*eir c*ances !0
0uncti!nin .ell -*ysically and mentally t.! decades later,
T*e study 0!ll!.ed 6,<5: men 0!r a/!ut 65 years !r until deat*, startin in t*eir early :)s, A/!ut
4) -ercent sur'i'ed t! at least ae ;), Am!n sur'i'!rs, 64 -ercent *ad n!ne !0 t*e 0i'e ris+
0act!rs,
1It3s n!t =ust luc+, it3s n!t =ust enetics, ,,, It3s li0estyle1 t*at seems t! ma+e a /i di00erence, said
lead aut*!r Dr, Laurel Yates !0 #ar'ard3s Bri*am and W!men3s #!s-ital,
1It3s et y!ur s*!es !n, et !ut t*ere, and d! s!me e8ercise,1 s*e said, 1T*ese are s!me t*ins
y!u can d!1 t! increase t*e c*ances !0 a l!n li0e,
Yates said it3s ne'er t!! late t! ad!-t a *ealt*ier li0estyle, t*!u* t*e 0indins d!n3t address
.*et*er .aitin until ae :) t! st!- sm!+in, l!se .ei*t and e8ercise .ill increase l!ne'ity,
#all n!ted t*at t*e 2nited States *as m!re t*an 55,))) centenarians, and t*at Americans 85 and
!lder are t*e c!untry3s 0astest&r!.in r!u- !0 !lder adults,
#e said t*e ne. researc* undersc!res *!. im-!rtant it is 0!r d!ct!rs t! /ec!me ade-t at treatin
t*e !ldest !0 t*e !ld, .*! are 1/ec!min t*e /read and /utter !0 t*e clinical -ractice !0 internal
medicine,1