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Martin P, Poon LW. Healthy aging among centenarians and near-centenarians: Findings from the Georgia Centenarian Study. Maturitas 2024; 185:108001. [PMID: 38677175 PMCID: PMC11219216 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2024.108001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
The Georgia Centenarian Study is one of the earliest comprehensive studies on centenarians. Based on the Georgia model of adaptation, the primary purpose of this study was to assess the health and well-being of our oldest population, with a focus on several primary adaptation areas: genetics and family longevity, environmental support, individual characteristics, cognitive and behavioral skills, health behaviors, and physical and mental health, including overall life satisfaction. The results of the three Georgia Centenarian sub-studies indicate that genetic and environmental variables play an important role in determining different levels of healthy aging, but they also highlight relevant mediating and moderating effects in a network of interrelating adaptation components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Martin
- Iowa State University, 2361b Palmer, 2222 Osborn Drive, Ames, IA 50011-1084, USA.
| | - Leonard W Poon
- University of Georgia, College of Public Health, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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Zhang PD, Lv YB, Li ZH, Yin ZX, Li FR, Wang JN, Zhang XR, Zhou JH, Wu XB, Duan J, Mao C, Shi XM. Age, Period, and Cohort Effects on Activities of Daily Living, Physical Performance, and Cognitive Functioning Impairment Among the Oldest-Old in China. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2020; 75:1214-1221. [PMID: 31435643 PMCID: PMC7984417 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glz196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to examine the trends in impairment regarding activities of daily living (ADL), physical performance, and cognitive function among the oldest-old (those aged 80 and older) in China between 1998 and 2014. METHODS We used data on 34,297 oldest-old individuals from the seven waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Study. We estimated age, period, and cohort effects on the prevalence of self-reported ADL impairment, tested physical performance and cognitive function impairment using the age-period-cohort model. RESULTS Regarding age, the prevalence of ADL, physical performance, and cognitive function impairment were highest in the centenarians, but they did not increase with age in this population. Among the literate subgroup, the prevalence of cognitive impairment increased more rapidly with age than that in the illiterate subgroup. Regarding period, the prevalence of self-reported and tested physical impairment slowly increased between 1998 and 2014, but cognitive impairment remained stable. Regarding cohort, ADL impairment continuously decreased. However, physical and cognitive impairment remained stable after a brief decline in the early birth cohorts. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that the age effect is still the most obvious effect regarding several types of functional impairment. The likelihood of a younger person experiencing functional impairment may not change significantly, but ADL is likely to be amenable to improvement resulting from improved medical and social care. Therefore, increased care for the oldest-old may considerably improve their quality of life, particularly regarding their basic ADL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Dong Zhang
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yue-Bin Lv
- National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-Hao Li
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhao-Xue Yin
- Division of Non-Communicable Disease Control and Community Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Fu-Rong Li
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiao-Nan Wang
- National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xi-Ru Zhang
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jin-Hui Zhou
- National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xian-Bo Wu
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jun Duan
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Chen Mao
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiao-Ming Shi
- National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
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Rasmussen SH, Thinggaard M, Højgaard MB, Jeune B, Christensen K, Andersen-Ranberg K. Improvement in Activities of Daily Living Among Danish Centenarians?-A Comparative Study of Two Centenarian Cohorts Born 20 Years Apart. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2019; 73:1125-1131. [PMID: 28595320 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glx113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background With the continued rise in the proportion of the oldest-old in high-income countries, it is of interest to know whether the functional health of today's oldest-olds is better or worse than in previous cohorts. Using two Danish centenarian birth cohorts born 20 years apart we aimed at investigating if the later born cohort had better functioning in terms of activities of daily living (ADL). Methods Identification, methodology, and assessment instruments were identical in the 1895-West and 1915-West Birth Cohort Studies: All persons living in the western part of Denmark and turning 100 years old in 1995 and 2015, respectively. Data were collected through structured in-home interviews. Participation rates were 74% (n = 106) and 79% (n = 238), respectively. Results The proportion of nondisabled women of the 1915-West cohort was more than twice as high compared to the 1895-West cohort and with corresponding lower proportions of moderately and severely disabled persons (17% vs 7%, 33% vs 40% and 50% vs 53% in the 1915-West and 1895-West cohorts, respectively, p = .047). Only nonsignificant improvements were seen among men in the 1915-West cohort. In both sexes, considerably higher proportions of the latest cohort used assistive devices than the former (statistically significant for the majority of assistive devices). Conclusion This comparative study shows improvements in reported ADL in the later born cohort of centenarians, even though only significant among women. As women constitute the majority of the oldest-olds, our findings are encouraging from a public health care view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Signe Høi Rasmussen
- Danish Aging Research Center, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Geriatrics, Odense University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Mikael Thinggaard
- Danish Aging Research Center, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Max-Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Bernard Jeune
- Danish Aging Research Center, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Kaare Christensen
- Danish Aging Research Center, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Max-Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Denmark
| | - Karen Andersen-Ranberg
- Danish Aging Research Center, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Geriatrics, Odense University Hospital, Denmark
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Physical, sensory, and cognitive functioning among centenarians: a comparison between the Tokyo and Georgia centenarian studies. Qual Life Res 2018; 27:3037-3046. [DOI: 10.1007/s11136-018-1943-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Jopp DS, Jung S, Damarin AK, Mirpuri S, Spini D. Who Is Your Successful Aging Role Model? J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2017; 72:237-247. [PMID: 27803026 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbw138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Having a role model of successful aging may contribute to views on aging. This article investigated the nature and correlates of young, middle-aged, and older adults' successful aging role models. Method One hundred and fifty-one individuals aged 18-99 were asked whether they had a role model of successful aging and if so, the reasons for their choice. Open-ended answers were coded for recurring themes. Views on aging and attitudes toward own aging were assessed with questionnaires. Results Eighty-five percent of participants indicated at least one role model. Most mentioned role models from their family, including parents and grandparents. Role models were gender matched. Most frequent reasons for model choices were health, activities, and social resources. Participants with family role models had less negative views on aging. Mediation analyses confirmed that family role models were associated with more reasons for role model choice, which in turn was associated with less negative views on aging. Furthermore, the effect of reasons on attitudes toward own aging was mediated by negative views on aging. Discussion Young, middle-aged, and older adults have role models for successful aging. Links between role model features and views on aging suggest that role models may be useful in promoting successful aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela S Jopp
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.,Swiss Centre of Competence in Research LIVES, Overcoming Vulnerability: Life Course Perspectives, Switzerland
| | - Seojung Jung
- Fordham University, Bronx, New York.,Seojung Jung is now at Department of Psychology, SUNY College at Old Westbury, New York
| | - Amanda K Damarin
- Department of Cultural and Behavioral Sciences, Georgia State University, Dunwoody
| | | | - Dario Spini
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.,Swiss Centre of Competence in Research LIVES, Overcoming Vulnerability: Life Course Perspectives, Switzerland
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Brodaty H, Woolf C, Andersen S, Barzilai N, Brayne C, Cheung KSL, Corrada MM, Crawford JD, Daly C, Gondo Y, Hagberg B, Hirose N, Holstege H, Kawas C, Kaye J, Kochan NA, Lau BHP, Lucca U, Marcon G, Martin P, Poon LW, Richmond R, Robine JM, Skoog I, Slavin MJ, Szewieczek J, Tettamanti M, Viña J, Perls T, Sachdev PS. ICC-dementia (International Centenarian Consortium - dementia): an international consortium to determine the prevalence and incidence of dementia in centenarians across diverse ethnoracial and sociocultural groups. BMC Neurol 2016; 16:52. [PMID: 27098177 PMCID: PMC4839126 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-016-0569-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Considerable variability exists in international prevalence and incidence estimates of dementia. The accuracy of estimates of dementia in the oldest-old and the controversial question of whether dementia incidence and prevalence decline at very old age will be crucial for better understanding the dynamics between survival to extreme old age and the occurrence and risk for various types of dementia and comorbidities. International Centenarian Consortium – Dementia (ICC-Dementia) seeks to harmonise centenarian and near-centenarian studies internationally to describe the cognitive and functional profiles of exceptionally old individuals, and ascertain the trajectories of decline and thereby the age-standardised prevalence and incidence of dementia in this population. The primary goal of the ICC-Dementia is to establish a large and thorough heterogeneous sample that has the power to answer epidemiological questions that small, separate studies cannot. A secondary aim is to examine cohort-specific effects and differential survivorship into very old age. We hope to lay the foundation for further investigation into risk and protective factors for dementia and healthy exceptional brain ageing in centenarians across diverse ethnoracial and sociocultural groups. Methods Studies focusing on individuals aged ≥95 years (approximately the oldest 1 percentile for men, oldest 5th percentile for women), with a minimum sample of 80 individuals, including assessment of cognition and functional status, are invited to participate. There are currently seventeen member or potential member studies from Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania. Initial attempts at harmonising key variables are in progress. Discussion General challenges facing large, international consortia like ICC-Dementia include timely and effective communication among member studies, ethical and practical issues relating to human subject studies and data sharing, and the challenges related to data harmonisation. A specific challenge for ICC-Dementia relates to the concept and definition of’abnormal’ in this exceptional group of individuals who are rarely free of physical, sensory and/or cognitive impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Brodaty
- Dementia Collaborative Research Centre - Assessment and Better Care, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, UNSW Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Claudia Woolf
- Dementia Collaborative Research Centre - Assessment and Better Care, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, UNSW Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Psychogeriatric Mental Health and Dementia Service, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Darlinghurst, Australia
| | - Stacy Andersen
- New England Centenarian Study, Geriatrics Section, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nir Barzilai
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, USA.,Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, USA
| | - Carol Brayne
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karen Siu-Lan Cheung
- Sau Po Centre on Ageing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.,Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Maria M Corrada
- Department of Neurology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, USA
| | - John D Crawford
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, UNSW Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Catriona Daly
- Dementia Collaborative Research Centre - Assessment and Better Care, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, UNSW Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Yasuyuki Gondo
- Graduate School of Human Sciences, Clinical Thanatology and Geriatric Behavioral Science, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Bo Hagberg
- Gerontology Research Centre, Lund, Sweden
| | - Nobuyoshi Hirose
- Centre for Supercentenarian Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Henne Holstege
- Department of Clinical Genetics, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Alzheimer Centre, Department of Neurology, VU University Medical Centre, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Claudia Kawas
- Department of Neurology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, USA.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, USA
| | - Jeffrey Kaye
- Department of Neurology and Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, USA
| | - Nicole A Kochan
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, UNSW Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Neuropsychiatric Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Australia
| | - Bobo Hi-Po Lau
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Ugo Lucca
- Laboratory of Geriatric Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriella Marcon
- Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.,AAS 1 Triestina, Trieste, Italy
| | - Peter Martin
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Iowa State University, Ames, USA
| | - Leonard W Poon
- Institute of Gerontology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Robyn Richmond
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jean-Marie Robine
- National Institute on Health and Medical Research, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Ingmar Skoog
- Department of Psychiatry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Melissa J Slavin
- Dementia Collaborative Research Centre - Assessment and Better Care, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, UNSW Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jan Szewieczek
- Department of Geriatrics, School of Health Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Mauro Tettamanti
- Laboratory of Geriatric Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - José Viña
- Department of Physiology, University of Valencia and INCLIVA, Valencia, Spain
| | - Thomas Perls
- New England Centenarian Study, Geriatrics Section, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Perminder S Sachdev
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), School of Psychiatry, UNSW Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. .,Neuropsychiatric Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Australia.
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Ferraro KF. Life Course Lens on Aging and Health. HANDBOOKS OF SOCIOLOGY AND SOCIAL RESEARCH 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-20880-0_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Doblhammer G, Fink A, Zylla S, Willekens F. Compression or expansion of dementia in Germany? An observational study of short-term trends in incidence and death rates of dementia between 2006/07 and 2009/10 based on German health insurance data. Alzheimers Res Ther 2015; 7:66. [PMID: 26537590 PMCID: PMC4634148 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-015-0146-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There have been recent reports about a decline in dementia incidence, but only little is known about trends in the mortality of patients with dementia. Only the simultaneous analysis of both trends can inform whether the reported decline in dementia has led to a compression of dementia into higher ages. METHODS We used health claims data from the largest public health insurer in Germany over the two time periods 2004/07 and 2007/10. Dementia was defined according to the International Classification of Disease 10th revision (ICD-10) numbers G30, G31.0, G31.82, G23.1, F00, F01, F02, F03 and F05.1 or by a prescription of cholinesterase inhibitors or memantine or both. In the two time periods, we observed 502,065 person-years of exposure and 10,881 incident dementia cases and 10,013 person-years of exposure among the newly demented and 3049 deaths. We estimated the relative risks of the two time periods applying proportional hazard models and calculated years with or without dementia using the illness-death model. RESULTS Dementia incidence was significantly higher in 2006/07 than in 2009/10, whereas mortality with dementia tended to be lower in the first period, albeit statistically significant among women only. Mortality without dementia tended to be higher in the first period for men and remained stable for women. Combining these trends, we found that at age 65 remaining life years with dementia were compressed by a yearly 0.4 months for men and 1.4 months for women. At the same time, remaining life years without dementia increased by a yearly 1.4 months for men and 1.1 months for women. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that the increase in dementia-free life years went together with an absolute compression of life years with dementia. This positive trend was particularly strong among women. Results were controlled for trends in multi-morbidity and care need, suggesting that the postponement in dementia incidence is not simply caused by a delay in diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Doblhammer
- University of Rostock, Institute for Sociology and Demography, Ulmenstr. 69, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Bonn, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee, 53175, Bonn, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
- Rostock Center for the Study of Demographic Change, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
| | - Anne Fink
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Bonn, Ludwig-Erhard-Allee, 53175, Bonn, Germany.
- Rostock Center for the Study of Demographic Change, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
| | - Stephanie Zylla
- University of Rostock, Institute for Sociology and Demography, Ulmenstr. 69, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
- Rostock Center for the Study of Demographic Change, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
| | - Frans Willekens
- Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
- Rostock Center for the Study of Demographic Change, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
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Doblhammer G, Fink A, Fritze T. Short-term trends in dementia prevalence in Germany between the years 2007 and 2009. Alzheimers Dement 2014; 11:291-9. [PMID: 25301681 DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2014.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2013] [Revised: 12/15/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have been cautiously optimistic about declining trends in dementia prevalence and incidence. Newly available claims data from a German public health insurance company covering 30% of the total population permitted us to explore short-term trends based on millions of observations up to the highest ages. Diagnoses stemmed from the inpatient and outpatient services and covered both the community-dwelling population and those living in nursing homes. Data spanning more than 3 years were examined, and the examination revealed a significant yearly reduction between 1% and 2% in the prevalence of dementia among women aged 75 to 84 years. The extent of the reduction was comparable with reports from earlier studies. A similar tendency existed among men, however, statistically not significant. Trends in medical, lifestyle, and societal risk factors of dementia may have contributed to this decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Doblhammer
- Institute for Sociology and Demography, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany; Department of Demographic Studies, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany; Rostock Center for the Study of Demographic Change, Rostock, Germany.
| | - Anne Fink
- Department of Demographic Studies, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany; Rostock Center for the Study of Demographic Change, Rostock, Germany
| | - Thomas Fritze
- Rostock Center for the Study of Demographic Change, Rostock, Germany; Department of Demographic Studies, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rostock, Germany
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Ailshire JA, Beltrán-Sánchez H, Crimmins EM. Becoming centenarians: disease and functioning trajectories of older US Adults as they survive to 100. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2014; 70:193-201. [PMID: 25136001 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glu124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about the health and functioning of individuals who become centenarians in the years prior to reaching age 100. We examined long-term trajectories of disease, disability, and cognitive function in a sample of U.S. centenarians to determine how their aging experience differs from their nonsurviving cohort counterparts, and if there is heterogeneity in the aging experience of centenarians. METHODS Data are from the 1993-2010 waves of the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study. Among those who had the potential to become centenarians, we identified 1,045 respondents who died before reaching age 100 and 96 who survived to their 100th birthday. Respondents, or their proxies, reported on diagnosis of six major diseases (hypertension, heart disease, lung disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes), limitations in activities of daily living, and cognitive function. RESULTS As they age to 100, centenarians are generally healthier than nonsurviving members of their cohort, and a number of individuals who become centenarians reach 100 with no self-reported diseases or functional impairments. About 23% of centenarians reached age 100 with no major chronic disease and approximately the same number had no disability (18%). Over half (55%) reached 100 without cognitive impairment. Disease and functioning trajectories of centenarians differ by sex, education, and marital status. CONCLUSIONS While some centenarians have poor health and functioning upon reaching age 100, others are able to achieve exceptional longevity in relatively good health and without loss of functioning. This study underscores the importance of examining variation in the growing centenarian population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Ailshire
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
| | | | - Eileen M Crimmins
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
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Peterson NM, Martin P. Tracing the origins of success: implications for successful aging. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2014; 55:5-13. [PMID: 24997595 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnu054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2013] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY This paper addresses the debate about the use of the term "successful aging" from a humanistic, rather than behavioral, perspective. It attempts to uncover what success, a term frequently associated with aging, is: how can it be defined and when did it first come into use? In this paper, we draw from a number of humanistic perspectives, including the historical and linguistic, in order to explore the evolution of the term "success." We believe that words and concepts have deep implications for how concepts (such as aging) are culturally and historically perceived. DESIGN AND METHODS We take a comparative approach, turning to the etymological roots of this term in British, French, and German literature. According to the earliest entries of the term in the Oxford English Dictionary, events can have good or bad success. Another definition marks success as outcome oriented. RESULTS Often used in the context of war, religion, and medicine, the neutral, but often negative, use of "success" in literature of the Renaissance demonstrates the tensions that surround the word, and suggests that success is something to be approached carefully. IMPLICATIONS Ignoring the ambiguous origins of success erases the fact that aging in earlier centuries echoes much of the same ambivalence with which many people discuss it today. Attending to the origins of success can help gerontologists understand the humanistic tradition behind their inquiry into what successful aging means today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora M Peterson
- Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
| | - Peter Martin
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Iowa State University, Ames
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Cho J, Martin P, Poon LW. Age Group Differences in Positive and Negative Affect among Oldest-Old Adults: Findings from the Georgia Centenarian Study. Int J Aging Hum Dev 2013; 77:261-88. [DOI: 10.2190/ag.77.4.a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Objectives. The developmental adaptation model (Martin & Martin, 2002) provides insights into how current experiences and resources (proximal variables) and past experiences (distal variables) are correlated with outcomes (e.g., well-being) in later life. Applying this model, the current study examined proximal and distal variables associated with positive and negative affect in oldest-old adults, investigating age differences. Methods. Data from 306 octogenarians and centenarians who participated in Phase III of the Georgia Centenarian Study were used. Proximal variables included physical functioning, cognitive functioning, self-rated health, number of chronic conditions, social resources, and perceived economic status; distal variables included education, social productive activities, management of personal assets, and other learning experiences. Analysis of variance and block-wise regression analyses were conducted. Results. Octogenarians showed significantly higher levels of positive emotion than centenarians. Cognitive functioning was significantly associated with positive affect, and number of health problems was significantly associated with negative affect after controlling for gender, ethnicity, residence, and marital status. Furthermore, four significant interaction effects suggested that positive affect significantly depended on the levels of cognitive and physical functioning among centenarians, whereas positive affect was dependent on the levels of physical health problems and learning experiences among octogenarians. Conclusion. Findings of this study addressed the importance of current and past experiences and resources in subjective well-being among oldest-old adults as a life-long process. Mechanisms connecting aging processes at the end of a long life to subjective well-being should be explored in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinmyoung Cho
- Scott and White Healthcare/Texas A&M Health Science Center
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