Seventy is the new sixty! New research has found that older people in England enjoy better health than ever. The findings, published in the journal Nature Aging, reveal that the decline in age has slowed notably, giving hope for a healthier aging process.
Amidst concerns over the rising rates of cancer and dementia, this study is the light at the end of the tunnel. It further shows that today’s elderly population faces more intense levels of physical and mental balance than the previous generations did at the same age.
Research highlights
According to this research study, a person who is 68 years old and born in 1950 is anticipated to have the same health condition as an individual who is 62 years old a decade earlier. A professor of aging at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, John Beard said, “We were surprised by just how large these improvements were, particularly when comparing people born after World War Two with earlier-born groups.”
The researchers observed data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, noting those born between 1920 and 1959, aged 65 to 104 today. They measured “cognitive, locomotor, psychological, and sensory capacities” rather than specific diseases.
Globally shining ‘through’
Turning over a new leaf in education, good nutrition, better sanitation, and advancement in medical treatments like high BP and joint replacement have contributed to these accomplishments.
At a global level, these findings resonate well. An analysis using data from the China Health and Retirement Study said, “Our research suggests there have been significant improvements in functioning in more recent cohorts of older people in both England and China.”
Professor Jay Olshansky of the University of Illinois, who wasn’t part of the study, described it as “powerful.” It’s an optimistic message for the future.”
Risk warnings
Despite that the findings are good, Beard warned against believing that the trend will continue. “There is nothing to say we will continue to see the same improvements moving forward,” he warned. Factors like increasing obesity could even reverse these trends.
Optimistic conclusion
The research ends with a hopeful note. “Increasing life expectancy is being accompanied by large increases in health expectancy among more recent cohorts. This has positive implications for all of us, both as individuals and for society more broadly.”
For many individuals, it looks like 70 no longer is slowing down but rather enjoying life with the high-spiritedness of someone much younger.
(With inputs from agencies)