| Lifelong Health: Quality and Length of Life for Americans on the Rise Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced heartening statistics. Americans are living longer than ever. The life expectancy in 2004 was 77.9 years, an average of 80.4 years for women and 75.2 years for men. While women still live longer than men, the gap in life expectancy has narrowed to 5.2 years, the lowest difference since 1946. And between 2003 and 2004, the total number of deaths decreased by 50,000.
Beyond living longer, we are also living better. At age 85, 50 percent of the population is unable to live independently. This occurs because of declining memory or physical disability. But in the past few years, there has been a small, yet significant decline, in the number of dependent 85-year-olds.
Are we ready to deal with a longer life expectancy as the 72-million baby boomers reach their 80s in the next 20-30 years? At that time, there will be more than twice the number of 85-year-olds as there are today.
There is no question that the graying of the United States presents a huge challenge. Currently, there is great concern that being older in America means that you are "put out to pasture." While this negative stereotype is an exaggeration, it does have a modicum of truth. The independent, progressive (and wealthy) baby boomers will redefine retirement and growing older and will refuse to be discarded or devalued.
We will see an explosive growth of retirement communities with a huge array of recreation choices to meet the needs of their residents. Similarly, more of us will travel to exotic places. In addition to those retirees, we will see an aging work force. For many, there will be new challenges and new careers, and many will continue to work. For me, retirement is not a consideration -- out of the question! I love being a geriatrician, and I want to continue practicing, writing and teaching for as long as possible. The idea that there is anything magical about retiring at age 65 is preposterous.
There is also talk of "aging in place," a new movement that changes the way we view old age. Rather than moving, the "elders" will continue to be active and assume a well-deserved, revered role in society -- as respected sages, teachers and leaders of a multigenerational community.
But, for each positive social change, we may encounter negative changes as well.
Currently, individuals over the age of 65 consume 65 percent of all health care. As boomers reach 65 and beyond, the resources, financial and otherwise, to meet this need have yet to be addressed. Even worse, we still face the serious issues of dependency. Because of longer life expectancy, Alzheimer's disease has moved into seventh place as a leading cause of death, surpassing influenza and pneumonia. This ranking may be low, however, as many patients with advanced Alzheimer's ultimately have other diseases (such as heart disease, infections) listed as the primary cause of death.
Most of us die between the ages of 70 and 90. Those of that age who died in 2004 were young adults in 1950 (ranging in age from 16 to 36) when it first became apparent that high-fat diets, cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure and cigarette smoking led to death from heart disease and cancer. Within a decade, death rates from heart disease decreased, many gave up smoking and exercise became much more common. Simultaneously, advances in medical care have reduced deaths from cancer, stroke and heart disease. And the benefits have been the greatest among men, explaining the narrowing in the life expectancy gap between men and women.
Sadly, there is evidence that the trend toward a healthier lifestyle is reversing. The serious obesity rate amongst our children is alarming. Similarly, the soaring rate of obesity among boomers reflects more than overeating. We as a nation are becoming more sedentary and because of rising costs, access to quality health care is unavailable to millions. Should this trend continue, more, rather than fewer, 85-year-olds will be dependent on others for their daily needs. If this happens, the consequences for society are dire. We must commit to a happy and healthier lifestyle -- it is the only way to ensure a long and, most importantly, independent life.
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Dr. David Lipschitz is the author of the book "Breaking the Rules of Aging." To find out more about Dr. David Lipschitz, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. Dr. David Lipschitz' e-mail address is askdrdavid@msn.com. More information is available at www.drdavidhealth.com. Copyright 2006 Creators Syndicate Inc. |
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