Researchers have been taking a look at what they call “the oldest old,” or the most aged members of the American population, to see learn more about their longevity. Some of the results are surprising. Robin Seaton Jefferson explained the studies at Forbes, and here is her rundown of some of the results:
Researchers have published several papers in premier journals to date. According to UC Mind, some of the major findings include:
- People who drank moderate amounts of alcohol or coffee lived longer than those who abstained.
- People who were overweight in their 70s lived longer than normal or underweight people did.
- Over 40% of people aged 90 and older suffer from dementia while almost 80% are disabled. Both are more common in women than men.
- About half of people with dementia over age 90 do not have sufficient neuropathology in their brain to explain their cognitive loss.
- People aged 90 and older with an APOE2 gene are less likely to have clinical Alzheimer’s dementia, but are much more likely to have Alzheimer’s neuropathology in their brains.
Read more here.