Lifestyle factors linked to a healthy old age for men

doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7578.1112-d

BMJ 2006;333:1112-1113 (25 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7578.1112-d

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Lifestyle factors linked to a healthy old age for men

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Researchers have been tracking a cohort of JapaneseAmerican men for 40 years to find out (among other things) whysome men live long and healthy lives whereas others get sickand die. Of the 5820 healthy middle aged men recruited between1965 and 1968, 42% lived until they were at least 85, and 11%lived at least that long and stayed healthy—so calledexceptional survivors, who developed no chronic illnesses, disabilities,or dementia. What distinguished these survivors from non-survivors?In general, they were thinner, fitter, and better educated inmiddle age. They also smoked less, drank less, and had fewercardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, hyperglycaemia,or hypertriglyceridaemia.

Similar factors distinguished theexceptional survivors from ordinary survivors, with the exceptionof marriage, which seemed to be associated with long life butnot necessarily with lasting good health. The opposite was truefor overweight, which was weakly associated with death beforethe age of 85 (odds ratio 1.13 (95% CI 1.00 to 1.28)) but morepowerfully associated with ill health in old age (1.49 (1.19to 1.86)).

These findings fit with the prevailing wisdomabout ageing and its determinants, confirming that the chanceof a long and healthy life depends on many factors, not justluck. Men with no risk factors at all in middle age had a 55%chance of living and staying well beyond 85 years.