Poll: How long will you live?

[Walt34]

Probably 80-85 for me given that a lot of previous male family members died early either from accidents or self-inflicted health issues, mostly alcohol-related. I come from a long line of lushes.

DW's family is all over the map, from a cousin who died from cancer at 21 to an aunt who is north of 100.

 

[6miths]

Various calculators say around 85. Will plan to expedite things if the health goes seriously south!

 

[Ally]

My parents lived to 89 and 94 and most other relatives until 90's. However, I have kidney disease that is concerning, so I chose a very optimistic 85.

 

[Amethyst]

My goodness, have no idea. My parents struggled into their mid-80's, yet only one grandparent lived past 50 (but two had diseases we can cure today). Luck plays such a role.

A.

 

[braumeister]

A friend of mine has said that he believes one's heart is good for so many beats, and he does not want to wear it out.

As I'm sure you know, this has been seriously proposed by several researchers at various times. Heartbeat hypothesis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

But AFAIK, nothing in the way of a definitive conclusion has ever emerged.

I've known several people who actually used this as their reason for never engaging in vigorous exercise, such as running. They believe that the elevated heartbeat experienced in a long run would reduce their lifespan.

I've tried to explain that the positive cardiovascular effect actually lowers the resting heart rate, and you spend far more hours of the day at that lower rate so the net effect is to the good. But they're not buying it.

Lance Armstrong reportedly had a resting heart rate in the low 30s (beats per minute) at his peak of conditioning for the Tour de France, but even that isn't the record. There is a guy in England who has been measured at 27.

Compare that with the typical person (around 70) and it's easy to see there is a huge individual difference.

 

[Gumby]

969 years.

Methusel-ha?

 

[Jaded salami]

I said 85, well past my parents who passed at 68 and 70 but were smokers.

Wife's mom is still kicking at 74, slowing down but nothing major, her dad passed at 65 but was an smoker and an alcoholic.

Wife's grandma is still kicking at 92, and looks not a day over 70, however.

Like I imagine many here, when I realized I had more money than time, it was time to get out of the rat race.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I pick the day that all SS variations break even.

DH will last much longer.

 

[NW-Bound]

Lance Armstrong reportedly had a resting heart rate in the low 30s (beats per minute) at his peak of conditioning for the Tour de France, but even that isn't the record. There is a guy in England who has been measured at 27...

Armstrong had cancer, and if it weren't for modern medicine, he would be pushing daisies.



I was actually just joking.

 

[robnplunder]

Hey, my genome test pretty much said that I don't have a longevity gene. If that's the case, I will be lucky to see my 75th birthday. Yet, both of my parents are over 75 and healthy. Then again, my younger brother passed away at 49.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

I am planning to make it to at least age 90 in spite of lousy longevity for the men in my family. My lifestyle is radically different from my relatives, so I expect a radically different result. From Atul Gawande in his New Yorker piece on how we age -

Inheritance has surprisingly little influence on longevity. James Vaupel, of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, in Rostock, Germany, notes that only six per cent of how long you’ll live, compared with the average, is explained by your parents’ longevity; by contrast, up to ninety per cent of how tall you are, compared with the average, is explained by your parents’ height. Even genetically identical twins vary widely in life span: the typical gap is more than fifteen years.

The Way We Age Now - The New Yorker

 

[Car-Guy]

Can I change my vote? I had forgotten to factor in that I drive GM cars.

 

[Goonie]

I'm shooting for mid-90s or beyond. Relatives on both sides of my family have had fairly good longevity.....late-80s to mid-90s. Most of them lived fairly healthy active lifestyles. Most of those who passed away younger than that, were heavy drinkers and/or smokers. There have been some exceptions to that, such as my Dad who passed away from brain cancer which was most likely the result of nearly 40 years working daily in a laboratory with known carcinogens in a petro-chemical industry. Things weren't regulated nearly as much back then as they are now. Most of his co-workers followed suit. He passed at 73.

My great-grandfather on my Dad's side, lived to 94. Smoked cigars and had a glass of whiskey every day. He went dancing with his much-younger girlfriend (she was only about 73) the night before he passed away. They said he woke up Sunday morning, got cleaned up and shaved himself with his straight razor, sat down in his rocking chair to wait for dinner at noon. My grandmother went to tell him dinner was ready, and she found him dead as a door nail, sitting in his rocker.

Several great-aunts and great-uncles lived into their late 80s or 90s. And my Mom is still quite spry at 87, and still lives quite independently, other than driving herself!

So I think mid-90s is a safe bet for me.....if I don't expire before bedtime tonight! Ha!

 

[GravitySucks]

The longevity surveys have me out in my mid to late 70s.
I answered 85 optimistically as both parents are alive at 81 and 82 and I think I'm taking better care of myself. Unfortunately I think maybe this clean living doesn't mean too much, making it to 77 or 78 living like Dean Martin is preferred to 85 living like Mother Teressa.
I use 95 for planning, don't mind leaving a few dollars behind for the kids if we get lucky.

 

[Lakewood90712]

My Father , and his Father lived into 80's , both with Parkinson , both about 6-7 years after DX , and quite miserable. My uncle on the other side of the family is still living with with it too , but may not last much longer.

After what I have seen of the disease ,I'l skip those years if it gets to me. Don't want genetic testing , better not to know.

 

[haha]

Methusel-ha?

Exactamente!

 

[Lucantes]

75 for me, and that really is only if I am lucky (currently 47). I haven't taken as good of care of myself as I probably should have. If I get really lucky I will be able to afford a nice new shiny robot body for my brain before I shuffle off!
Although I might go tomorrow in some really embarrassing accident!


I imagine my wife will still be happily puttering around at 90+!

 

[prototype]

I voted 85 base on the average I get from various longevity calculators (86). For financial planning I use 92 to have some "financial cushion" as others have mentioned.

 

[truenorth418]

I use 95 to run my calculations. That's 45 years from now so who knows.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[jim747]

I hope I've been blessed with my mothers genes so I voted 90+. My mom just turned 90 and still lives by herself on the farm - paints buildings, plants lots of flowers and mows the lawn. She mows about two acres so I gave her a new John Deere rider for her birthday.

 

[Bikerdude]

80 something.

"I'm not afraid to die I just don't want to be there when it happens"

Woody Allen

 

[6miths]

Actually Woody Allen's quote has it backward in my mind. My bigger fear is not being there (mentally) when it happens.

 

[NW-Bound]

... My bigger fear is not being there (mentally) when it happens.

But, but, but what you don't know can't hurt you.

 

[Bikerdude]

Actually Woody Allen's quote has it backward in my mind. My bigger fear is not being there (mentally) when it happens.

I guess you want to get your moneys worth.

 

[Taxman59]

Planning for 95, but expect about 90. Father's family has made it into the late 90's, mother's side into the mid 80's.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum