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03-23-2015, 09:39 AM
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#41
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Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Flyover country
Posts: 25,198
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Quote:
Originally Posted by athena53
I once worked for a guy who ran a 50-mile race. We all told him he was nuts. He's in his late 30s; I wonder what shape he'll be in 20 years from now if he keeps that up.
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Chalk it all up to individual differences.
I have a friend who recently signed up for a 50 mile race, and he's in his 70s. He also did back to back (Saturday/Sunday) marathons last year. He does at least ten marathons a year, and has for years.
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03-28-2015, 08:05 AM
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#42
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gone traveling
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: DFW
Posts: 7,586
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So for those of us that have family history of longevity, this could be bad news; while those of us with shorter family longevity, it might be good news. My family is a mixed bag, so who knows.
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03-28-2015, 10:46 AM
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#44
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,473
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bjorn2bwild
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Wow, this sure sounds promising. Imagine, lessening frailty and increasing cardiovascular ability in old age.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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03-28-2015, 11:54 AM
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#45
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 5,307
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Coincidentally, I just finished reading Being Mortal yesterday (a really good book). I was also surprised by the longevity and family history percentage given.
But, I think when you factor in all the things that affect how long you live then I can see it. It isn't by the way just that people sometimes die of accidents. I can see that many deaths may be due to illnesses that are not really related that much to family history.
We think of family history as affecting things like heart disease. But, what about the person who dies of the flu? I would think that family history wouldn't be all that relevant.
Also, bear in mind that some people may take "good" family history as a reason not to be concerned about certain things and may take "bad" family history as a reason to be concerned. My husband's father had heart disease (before 60) and died of a heart attack (mid-70s). DH has always been very aware of that and he has been careful to do things to avoid coronary problems. Imagine someone with no family history of heart disease. That person may not be so careful. In fact, that person may be over-confident and feel they don't have to do anything to try to avoid heart disease and may live a less healthy lifestyle.
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03-28-2015, 12:25 PM
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#46
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,473
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Katsmeow
Coincidentally, I just finished reading Being Mortal yesterday (a really good book). I was also surprised by the longevity and family history percentage given.
But, I think when you factor in all the things that affect how long you live then I can see it. It isn't by the way just that people sometimes die of accidents. I can see that many deaths may be due to illnesses that are not really related that much to family history.
We think of family history as affecting things like heart disease. But, what about the person who dies of the flu? I would think that family history wouldn't be all that relevant.
Also, bear in mind that some people may take "good" family history as a reason not to be concerned about certain things and may take "bad" family history as a reason to be concerned. My husband's father had heart disease (before 60) and died of a heart attack (mid-70s). DH has always been very aware of that and he has been careful to do things to avoid coronary problems. Imagine someone with no family history of heart disease. That person may not be so careful. In fact, that person may be over-confident and feel they don't have to do anything to try to avoid heart disease and may live a less healthy lifestyle.
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That is such a good and valid comment. Heredity and environment are, I think, trumped by the influence of sheer luck or chance. People may die unexpectedly soon or late, despite all probabilities.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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03-28-2015, 12:45 PM
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#47
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 7,109
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My DS's MIL shared with us the fact that no one in her family lived much into their 70s and that she didn't expect a long life. She is about 67 now, quite a bit more than chubby, and has a long list of health issues. I suspect she is managing her choices based on her expectations.
__________________
Duck bjorn.
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03-28-2015, 03:18 PM
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#48
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Western US
Posts: 1,205
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03-30-2015, 01:12 PM
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#49
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Lawn chair in Texas
Posts: 14,183
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DFW_M5
My family is a mixed bag, so who knows.
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Mine too! Oh, we were talking about longevity...
__________________
Have Funds, Will Retire
...not doing anything of true substance...
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03-30-2015, 06:37 PM
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#50
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 249
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Longevity is definitely not a trait in my family history. I can only find one Uncle that made it into his 80s. Most males (including my father) have checked out in their early 70s, others died in accidents...
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03-31-2015, 11:57 AM
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#51
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 7,109
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If you use your family longevity to plan your retirement savings spend-down you will live to be 100.
__________________
Duck bjorn.
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03-31-2015, 12:43 PM
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#52
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Peru
Posts: 6,335
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Along with the nature/nurture argument, the second part of understanding and accepting theories on longevity comes from evaluating statistical significance.
Statistical significance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
While hating the subject when I studied it some 60 years ago, it generated a cynicism that has helped in sorting out theory from fact.
It's usually possible to find a study somewhere that affirms our expectations... but sampling size and other factors matter. ie... is a 500 sample size significant?
http://www.einstein.yu.edu/centers/a...genes-project/
So, starting with simple logic, check the source and then look to the best acepted standards. Government studies, Wikipedia, CIA Factbook, NIH, and the prominent (in this case) health websites.
Biggest danger is knowing what we know.
Hmmm.. yeah, numbers is hard.
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03-31-2015, 03:54 PM
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#53
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 8,362
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Here's my personal theory despite having no real professional/scientific background on the matter:
The Spanish Flu of 1914 wiped out the weaklings. 20 million of them in a few months. The survivors went on through the 20th century and created an unusually long lived population coupled to offspring who were similarly robust.
We all know of people (grandparent's era) who smoked, drank and abused themselves but lived to their mid-90s and now parents who are going strong and playing tennis in their 80's.
By the third generation, (Boomers) a more diluted robustness returned through a number of natural genetic degradations --not all, but more people are weaker than others-- at the same time as medical science coupled to healthier living has found ways to off set those weaknesses.
As a result, I wonder if what we view longevity today is merely a fluky remnant of a disastrous 'filter' that occurred 100 years ago as we return to a more diverse set of strong/weak set of population.
Sorry, I don't mean for this to be so black and white --because it isn't--but more of an incomplete set of musings.....(late in the day and after my first Mart)
__________________
Living well is the best revenge!
Retired @ 52 in 2005
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03-31-2015, 05:31 PM
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#54
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Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 10,656
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If you dig a bit, you'll find that just the opposite happened with the Spanish flu...those with the strongest immune system were the ones that died!!
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04-01-2015, 09:19 AM
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#55
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 8,362
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sengsational
If you dig a bit, you'll find that just the opposite happened with the Spanish flu...those with the strongest immune system were the ones that died!!
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Interesting. So the ones with more immunity to flu died from the flu?
Can you steer me to some info on that? I wonder how were they able to measure immune system strength a century ago? I would like to read up on that.
__________________
Living well is the best revenge!
Retired @ 52 in 2005
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04-01-2015, 09:43 AM
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#56
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 7,109
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Scientists Uncover Why Spanish Flu So Deadly
The Spanish Flu was more deadly to people in their middle years, as opposed to children and elderly, further supporting the fact that those with robust immune systems died.
__________________
Duck bjorn.
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04-01-2015, 10:28 AM
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#57
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 8,362
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brat
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Well, there goes my theory.
__________________
Living well is the best revenge!
Retired @ 52 in 2005
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04-01-2015, 12:09 PM
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#58
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2006
Location: west coast, hi there!
Posts: 8,808
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The longevity inheritance question is interesting in a statistical sense.
But what about real life where I'm only interested in a sample size of one, i.e. me?
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04-03-2015, 01:02 PM
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#59
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Leeward Oahu
Posts: 17,794
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Heh, heh, all this talk of longevity and medical histories, etc. reminds me of a story. DW went to ER with (what turned out to be) acute gastritis. The admitting thought maybe heart attack at first. As they were administering pain meds, they were taking DWs medical history. DOC "Any history of heart disease in your family?" DW (in a frail, voice) "My grandma died of heart failure." DOC "How old was she?" DW (even more frail now due to meds) "94." DOC (mouthing to the nurse) "No heart history." I almost had to leave the room to stifle an otherwise inappropriate laugh.
__________________
Ko'olau's Law -
Anything which can be used can be misused. Anything which can be misused will be.
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04-03-2015, 01:42 PM
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#60
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 35,712
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lsbcal
The longevity inheritance question is interesting in a statistical sense.
But what about real life where I'm only interested in a sample size of one, i.e. me?
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Some people look at longevity of their ancestors for some hope. Even that is now flaky, according to the expert quoted in the original post.
And then, of course, even if there's some tendency to inherit good health from ancestors, one may just be so unlucky to fall into a 2 or 3-sigma case where statistics do not apply.
We keep reading about people inheriting genes causing predisposition to diseases such as certain cancer. That is very true. So, bad genes can be inherited, but good longevity genes are not? Life can be so cruel, you know?
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"Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man" -- Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)
"Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities Can Make You Commit Atrocities" - Voltaire (1694-1778)
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