Living to Be 100 and Counting Does Not Mean Never Getting Sick

A recent study revealed that living to 100 does not mean avoiding disease, but it may mean avoiding disability.

Staying healthy, wealthy and wise was once the path people felt they needed to follow in order to defy aging. Today, however, it seems that illness is just another part of life and shows no connection to living well beyond the normal life span.

In a study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 739 men and women were given health questionnaires in order to study there medical history. The ages of the participants ranged from 97 to 119 years of age. What the researchers found was that common age related illnesses like heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and dementia did not affect the ability of these older patients to take care of themselves. On the contrary, their illness free counterparts (those who remained without illness until the age of 85) displayed no better cognitive or functional abilities than those who had “survived” the above mentioned illnesses.

While the study results amazed the co-authors, other researchers claim the results to be less exciting and more realistic. According to Dr. James S. Goodwin, illnesses may not be a predictor of lifespan but may have to be considered “risk factors” for disability later in life.

Another point revealed through the study pertained to the immortal debates between man and woman. Of the “survivors” of illness, 72 percent of men were able to function in an independent manner, while only 34 percent of women retained the same level of functionality. On the other side of that coin, 67 percent of men showed cognitive deterioration while only 42 percent of women showed that same deterioration.

No matter whether you are a man or a woman, it seems that illness does not have to be avoided to live a long and prosperous life. Disability, both mental and physical, is more a gauge of a shortened life span that the number of illnesses you have survived.

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