Is there a limit to life expectancy?

An excellent summary article on the new statistics of life expectancy on the BBC website.


The one liner is that all recent research suggests that as yet there is no discernible limit to how long we can live. Looks like we will be joining the turtles and parrots yet.

Our ageing population

An ageing population will lead to an increase in such illnesses as dementia and diabetes. In the UK today, 700,000 people are affected by dementia. This number is expected to double within a generation. Dementia currently costs the UK economy £20 billion per annum and a 2008 King’s Fund study projected a rise to £50 billion by 2038. There are 2.6 million people in the UK with Type 2 diabetes and this is expected to increase to 4 million by 2025. The costs of diabetes are high because of associated complications such as heart disease, stroke, visual impairment , kidney disease, nerve damage and amputations...

Well there are some stats to cheer you up on a wet Saturday afternoon.

Using brain games to delay dementia

Researchers at Queen's University Belfast have developed an application to discover the true effectiveness of brain training exercises in 50-plus people.
The Brain Jog application, which is available to download free for iPhone, iPod or iPad, is the product of 18 months of work by researchers at Queen's School of Music and Sonic Arts to find out what the over 50's are looking for in a brain training app.
The researchers are encouraging as many people as possible to download and use the application. During the process, users will be asked to give feedback on their experience of playing the game.
Using this information to determine what makes a good puzzle experience, the research team will continuously improve and adapt the games to make them as user friendly as possible-thereby maximising the number of people who play on a regular, long-term basis.
In the next stage of the project, the researchers hope to track the experience and performance of these long-term players to help clarify the effects of regular brain training on ageing minds.
Lead researcher Donal O'Brien of the Queen's Sonic Arts Research Centre said: "Brain Jog consists of four enjoyable mini games specifically designed to test and improve four areas - spatial ability, memory, mathematical ability and verbal fluency."
"This is achieved through problem solving, puzzles and reverse arithmetic, allowing users to be challenged in an engaging manner, and improve their performance with regular practice," he said.
He added, "By downloading this app, you can help us create a fantastic game experience for those over 50 and bring us one step closer to finding out whether or not brain training can help prevent cognitive decline and dementia.
"Plans are in place for a future study on dementia prevention using the app; but before that can happen, people of all ages are encouraged to get downloading and have fun while providing vital information to our researchers and keeping their brain active."

Alcohol can help to prevent dementia!

Good news for a change!

A German study found for people over 65 years old, drinking small amounts of alcohol appears to lower the overall rate of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Previous research has suggested long-term alcohol abuse is detrimental to memory function. Evidence had indicated alcohol-related dementia accounted for about 10% of all cases.
But the new study indicates light-to-moderate drinking as people age through their senior years may actually help keep their memories intact.
The study interviewed 3,327 patients without dementia and then examined their alcohol consumption and cognitive function at 1 1/2 years and three years.
About 50% of the participants avoided alcohol during the study while the rest drank varying amounts. At the end of the study, 217 (6.8%) of the participants had been diagnosed with dementia -- most of them were non-drinkers.
The study found that the drinkers were 29% less likely to have developed dementia and 42% less likely to have developed Alzheimer's.
The analysis found light-to-moderate alcohol consumption was particularly beneficial for those 75 years old and over.
"The idea that a drop of your favourite tipple could reduce risk of dementia will come as welcome news to many," said Anne Corbett, research manager with the Alzheimer's Society.
But Corbett cautioned against using the study as a "green light to hit the bottle."
Though the study adds to a growing argument alcohol is beneficial for the older population, there remains evidence heavy drinking is linked to an increased risk of dementia, she said.
The researchers suggest the alcohol consumption may be helping by lowering cholesterol and improving insulin sensitivity. Non-alcoholic components in most of the beverages also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, the study says.
It's not clear if different alcoholic beverages -- such as beer, wine or spirits -- have different outcomes.
The study is published in the journal of Age and Ageing.

50+'s still into romance and sex

As Valentines approaches the over 50’s are reporting higher levels of satisfaction with their health and relationships than their younger counterparts, according to Saga Health.  However despite agreeing on the state of their health, the old adage that men are from Mars and Women are from Venus is still going strong, with Men twice as likely to admit dissatisfaction with their sex lives as women (21% versus 12% for women).    

Despite their sex lives being a point of contention, it does not appear to directly correlate to peoples overall satisfaction with their relationship.  In fact  84% of over 50s are confident that they think they will be with their partner forever. 

Saga panellists were asked to compare their sex life today with their sex life in their 20s and 30s. While 85% said sex was less frequent now, 82% said there was less pressure to have sex and 61% said it was more fulfilling. 68% of respondents disagreed with the statement ‘It is more boring’. In fact almost half (42%) of sexually active Saga panellists have sex at least once a week, with a further quarter saying fortnightly.
When asked how satisfied people were with other aspects in their lives, it was clear from the results that with age, comes happiness, confidence and contentment. Over 50s in general are much happier with the way they look, their relationship and their overall health compared to the younger generations. Almost three fifths of over 50s are satisfied or completely satisfied with their health, compare to only a third of under 50s. And when looking at life overall, 79% of over 50s are satisfied or completely satisfied, compared to just over half of under 50s (57%)

Your real age?

In our book we strongly suggest that you to to the Real Age website to compare your actual age with your 'real age' based on your lifestyle. I was presently surprised when I did it. I was reminded of this when seeing a Daily Mail article recently which offered a similar self assessment. You are asked to assess your brain, skin, muscles, eye, ears, lungs, teeth, heart and liver and then you get a reading. Not sure of the science behind this but it was educational to do it. The Real Age one is still the best test around.

Older drivers safest in icy weather

Another plus of being 50+!


Insurance claims by over 50s drivers are actually DOWN 17% this December, compared with the same time last year, Saga Motor Insurance can reveal.
It seems that older motorists are heeding the warnings to stay off the roads in bad weather.  As AA statistics show that motorists in general are making twice as many claims as normal due to the bad weather, this must be younger drivers, because Saga's experience shows that older motorists are having fewer accidents this year.
Saga Director-General Ros Altmann commented: "It is really encouraging that older motorists are using their experience and planning around the bad weather to ensure they are not out on the roads in the ice and snow."

Quarter of over 50s 'cheat on their partner'

In addition a sixth of them never use contraception when embarking on a new relationship, the highest of any age group, found the poll.

One in three 51 to 55-year-olds said they had "slept around" and had an unprotected one-night stand, while one in four admitted to having more than one ongoing sexual relationship.

The poll of 3,000 people, commissioned by The Co-operative Pharmacy, found that today's young people are less promiscuous than their elders were at the same age.

A fifth of teenagers over 16 delayed having their first sexual encounter until the legal age of consent, the survey found, compared to only one in 20 of those now aged 20 or older.
Lisa McCreesh, a pharmacist for The Co-operative Pharmacy, said: "Our research challenges the belief that teenagers are more promiscuous than older generations.
"They unfairly get a bad name, while those in their fifties, who grew up in the sixties and seventies, are living up to the era’s care free image as they take greater risks with their sexual health."
Natika Halil, director of information at FPA, the sexual health charity, said: "The message is the same for teenagers as well as people in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s – don’t take a risk with your sexual health over the festive period. There is only one protection against most STIs – wearing a condom."

Another reason for living to be a 100

Advances in medical science have extended not only human life spans, but virility during the course of those longer lives.

That fact has been accompanied by a growing body of research into the sexuality of people who have passed what is to be considered retirement age. Now, a new Australian study shows that both sexual activity and a desire for sex remain a consideration for men who are approaching the century mark.
"Although many people, including some doctors, believe that sexuality isn't important to older people, our study shows that this is not the case. Even in the tenth decade of life, 1 in 5 men still considered sex important," said study researcher Zoe Hyde, a doctoral researcher with the Western Australian Centre for Health and Ageing at the University of Western Australia. "However, some common medical problems are barriers to older people remaining sexually active," Hyde said.
The Australian study comes after studies in the United States and Sweden have shown that many or most people in their 70s lead active sex lives, and have found high levels of sexual satisfaction among this group, sometimes even exceeding that of their younger years.

The new study looked at nearly 2,800 men between the ages of 75 and 95. While sexual activity and the desire for sex was lower than in studies of younger adults, it remained significant. Nearly a third of the men surveyed had had sex in the past year, and just under half considered sex to be "at least somewhat important."
Of those who were still sexually active, more than forty percent wished to have more, but were blocked, often by their own health problems or their partners' problems, including conditions such as osteoporosis, diabetes, prostate cancer or other physical limitations.
Men who wish to be sexually active late in life can take some preventative steps in their younger years, Hyde said.
"Chronic disease, such as diabetes, appears to be the main reason that older men cease being sexually active," she told MyHealthNewsDaily. "If men want to remain sexually active as they age, the best thing they can do is get sufficient physical activity, eat a healthy and nutritious diet and stop smoking."
Hyde said the study has also highlighted other things that may help people who are older stay sexually active if they wish.
"It was interesting that testosterone levels were still associated with sexual activity, after we controlled for medical problems and social factors," she said. "This suggests that testosterone deficiency could possibly cause problems for some men, so this is an area that clinical trials of testosterone therapy should look at."

Testosterone therapy has been advocated to stop age-related decline in men, but it remains controversial because of a lack of data on its risks and benefits.
"It would be premature to suggest testosterone therapy to improve sexual interest and activity at this stage," Hyde said. "We need further studies to properly explore the risks of therapy as well as the possible benefits."
The study did hold some caveats. The authors noted that the men in the study lived in the community, and may not represent the population of men in that age range as a whole, some of whom live in assisted-living facilities.
But researchers also noted that some men might have been reluctant to be more honest in their responses because "sexuality can be a sensitive topic."
Judith Kuriansky, a clinical psychologist and adjunct faculty member of Columbia University Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry, said the new study is not surprising in light of research from other countries.
"Men who are over 75 are not over the hill anymore," Kuriansky said.
Because there are more women than men who live to that age, "They, I'm sure, have lots of partners to choose from," she said, adding that "with all these medications that are available, they can still perform longer."

Watch out for those croissants and toast...

Josephine Forbes of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute conducted a study on how many common foods – toast and croissants included-can produce chemicals now suspected of fast-tracking ageing and chronic disease.
Named Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs), these chemicals turn up in foods ranging from hash browns to cola drinks and coffee.
Forbes and researchers overseas have suggested that too many AGEs building up in the body can contribute to heart disease and diabetes – and the wrinkling and pigmentation that goes with ageing skin.
The foods producing the most AGEs tend to be processed foods high in sugar or fat, especially animal fat, that are then grilled, baked or fried at high temperatures, often until they’re crispy and golden, said Forbes.
“The more a food has sugar added to it and the more it’s processed, the more AGEs it usually produces. Baked, crunchy breakfast cereals and toasted mueslis also produce AGEs, but raw oats and porridge are fine,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted her as saying.
It seems that once you start mucking around with food the more AGEs it produces – there aren’t many foods in their natural state that produce AGEs,” she added.
We can accumulate too many AGEs in two ways. One is from some foods; the other is when blood sugar levels are too high, as with diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Although research into AGEs’ effects is still in the early stages, studies have suggested they can harm the immune system and contribute to hardened arteries and problems with kidney function.
They can age skin by attacking collagen and promote arthritis by damaging the joints.

And 'yes' I did have croissants for breakfast this morning!