Factors of Exceptional Health in Old Age Revealed

March 12, 2009

Posted by Carey Rossi

If you want to keep thriving on into the later years of your life, take note. According to a survey of 2,432 older Canadians about their quality of life, those people who are most likely to have truly golden years:

Have a positive outlook

Keep stress low

Limit alcohol consumption

Abstain from tobacco

Maintain an income of at least $30,000 per year

Prevent chronic health conditions from occurring

Researchers from Portland State University, the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Oregon Health & Science University, and Statistics Canada had study participants fill out an extensive health survey every other year, starting in 1994 and continuing through 2004. One measure, called the Health Utilities Index, asked people to rate their abilities in eight categories, including vision, hearing, speech, ambulation, dexterity, emotion, cognition and pain. “Thrivers” were those who rated themselves as having no or only mild disability in all eight categories on at least five of the six surveys.

If respondents reported moderate or severe disability on any of the six surveys, they were classified as not having a high quality of life or excellent health. Just over half of the respondents started out as “thrivers”, but by the end of the ten years, only 8% were considered thrivers. At the end of the study period, 47% of the respondents were classified as not having a high quality of life or excellent health, 36% had died and 9% were institutionalized.

The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: Act now to ensure that you will maintain your health and vitality well into your 80s, 90s or beyond. “Many of these factors can be modified when you are young or middle-aged,” said study co-author David Feeny. “While these findings may seem like common sense, now we have evidence about which factors contribute to exceptional health during retirement years.”