Live to 100? Need good genes, not good habits

[braumeister]

Nice piece in the WSJ here.

Paywalled, I'm sure, but the main takeaways:

Habits like getting enough sleep, exercising and eating a healthy diet can help you stave off disease and live longer, yet when it comes to living beyond 90, genetics start to play a trump card, say researchers who study aging.

If you can make it past 90, genetics goes up from 25% of the solution to more like 50%.

There are about 109,000 people in the US now over 100 years of age, up from 65,000 ten years ago. Despite the decline in overall life expectancy, roughly 20% of us have the genes to make it to 100 if we do everything else right.

 

[Car-Guy]

Well both my parents made it into their 90's and I had a great grandfather that was over 100 when he died. Me, I'm thinking 85 at best but more likely ~80. And I'm okay with that.

 

[easysurfer]

So, I guess it's nature for the win .

 

[LateToFIRE]

Whelp, guess I'm not gonna win that bet. Don't know of anyone in my family who's lived past 90, granted most had lives of hardship and surely not much by way of decent medical care or diet. Which makes trying to guess my potential expiration difficult at best.

 

[Dtail]

Father passed at 92. Mom currently at 90. All of their relatives with no exceptions lived past 80.
We shall see.

 

[easysurfer]

I'd be shocked if I made it past 80.

 

[Car-Guy]

^^^^^
That's about my target range too. What's scares me is that's less than 10 years away for me. Heck, Ive been a member of this forum for longer than that.

 

[razztazz]

^^^^^
That's about my target range too. What's scares me is that's less than 10 years away for me. Heck, Ive been a member of this forum for longer than that.

Don't know what everybody else's background is. Mine is a mixed bag. Like many here I used to worry about living a long time and outliving my money.
Then I had that massive heart attack. Always looking for the up-side of things I initially concluded that at least I didn't have to worry about running out of money anymore.

Then I thought of my mother. At 70 she had a massive heart attack and a bypass. Her heart afterwards was worse than mine is as far as pumping action. She lived till 88 and never had another significant medical episode. No heart attacks. No strokes. No falls. And she had been diabetic for decades before that.

So living too long is back on the table. Hurray for me....?

 

[Midpack]

My parents lived to 93 and 96 respectively, and although they didn't have any serious health issues (lots of little issues), neither of them were happy to live so long. TBH I hope I don't make it past 90 and I'd settle for a lot less. If I make to 100 or more, I'd consider that a curse. YMMV

 

[Alan]

I'd be shocked if I made it past 80.

Same here, but I live in hope.

One parent died at 62 the other at age 84 but he was an underground coal miner for over 40 years and smoked like a chimney from about age 11. My parents’ siblings all made into their late 70s except one who is still doing okay in her mid 80’s in Australia.

One grandfather died at 55 the other 3 made into their late 70s. One of my great Grandfathers died at 92 when I was age 14 and I knew him quite well. His history was amazing, also an underground coal miner from age 14 like my Dad. He signed up at age 39 in 1914 for WWI even though he was exempted due to age and reserved occupation. He served throughout the whole war, I have his military record, he was gassed twice, shot once, won the Military Medal for bravery and was discharged to hospital in 1918 as 50% disabled. I have a copy of the hand written account of the mission he undertook to win his medal (this wasn’t when he was shot). In 1939 he fell down a mineshaft shattering both legs, and one was amputated, I always remember him with his “wooden leg”. Like all that generation he was a smoker so I can’t imagine how he would have done under better circumstances. I only hope I have some of his genes.

 

[braumeister]

My eight great-grandparents lived to an average age of 65.
My four grandparents lived to an average age of 78.
My two parents lived to an average age of 86.

So the family longevity seems to have increased rather nicely, which gives me some hope of continuing the trend.

 

[rodi]

For our planning I have to take in DH's longevity, and my shortlevity.

His mom is 96, turns 97 next month, and is healthy except for pretty extreme dementia. She hasn't recognized my husband or his siblings in a few years. His dad died at 90 or 91. Being wheel chair bound and a few strokes I'm sure didn't help his longevity... but he still made it over 90.

My side is the opposite. Mom died of ovarian cancer at 67. Dad beat prostate cancer in his 60's only to get multiple myeloma and died at 76. My brother dies of neuroendocrine carcinoma (a super rare cancer) at age 48. 3 of 4 grandparents died of cancer in their 60's and 70's. Maternal grandmother made it to age 90. My sister and I are both very proactive in our cancer screenings because we know our family is it's on cancer cluster.

So despite DH being 9.5 years older than me, our financial projections have him living 5 years after me... I hope to make it past 80, I plan for 90. But we're pushing our travel forward to NOW because there are no guarantees... and because we have MIL as an example of 'she's alive, but is she enjoying it'

 

[Car-Guy]

For our planning I have to take in DH's longevity, and my shortlevity.

His mom is 96, turns 97 next month, and is healthy except for pretty extreme dementia. She hasn't recognized my husband or his siblings in a few years. His dad died at 90 or 91. Being wheel chair bound and a few strokes I'm sure didn't help his longevity... but he still made it over 90.

IMO, that's breathing, not living. But that's me.

 

[ncbill]

Dad was freaking out as he approached 70 since his father & older brother died around that age.

But he made it more than a decade past that, even if the last few years he was not able to leave the house.

So my kids got that time with him.

From everything I've read exercise is the best way to age with the fewest physical complications.

 

[street]

Boy, not sure where I will fit in with the genes from my parents. Mom and her brother made it to 92 oldest in their family the rest died 70's. Dad and one brother lived to 87 and 90 the rest of dad's family died in 70's and a couple low 80's.

I'm hoping for low 80's and anything more will be a blessing.

Like I have heard here many times. Is the trick is to die young as late as possible.

 

[mystang52]

I've always believed that living healthy (diet, exercise, etc.) can help 25% or so, the remainder controlled by genetics.

 

[O2Bfree]

I'm adopted and am not privy to my birth parents' health records. I've tried accessing my birth mother's records, but have been firmly told "they're sealed". Perhaps some day I'll have contact with a blood relative through Ancestry.com.

 

[braumeister]

Is the trick is to die young as late as possible.

“Live fast, die young and have a good-looking corpse!”

-- from the book Knock on Any Door, 1947
-- and popularized in the movie of the same title, 1949

 

[stepford]

For our planning I have to take in DH's longevity, and my shortlevity.

Very similar to our situation. My parents lasted to 90/98 while DW's went at 65/76. Even with the gender difference we assume I have maybe 10 years more than she does - a prospect I'm really not looking forward to.

In any case the real issue is healthspan not lifespan. My father was in pretty good shape until around 85 - still went to the theater and took classes at the local college, etc, but then went downhill pretty fast. The last 10 years of my mother's life were no fun for anybody. Living to 100 doesn't much matter to me, but being healthy, alert and active till 85-90 is something I hope for (particularly if I can convince DW to last along with me).

 

[Andre1969]

My four grandparents lived to: 73/91 (maternal grandmom/granddad) and 76/one month shy of 102 (paternal grandmom/granddad).

But then, among my parents' generation:
Dad: died at 71. Uncle (his brother) #1: died around 82. Uncle #3: now around 82-83, but poor health, and has been on oxygen for a few years.
Mom: died at 74. Uncle (her brother): 71, and currently in the hospital with a whole laundry-list of issues. He's had kidney problems since birth though, bouts with cancer, and now type-2 Diabetes.

On Mom's side of the family, it was quite common for the women to make it to their 90s...both from her Dad's side, and Mom's side. So when Mom got struck down this past summer, at 74 from cancer, it was a shock.

I used to think I had a reasonable chance of a long life. My maternal Granddad died of lung cancer. But, he also grew up on a tobacco farm and started smoking around the time he was potty trained. He also worked as a mechanic, and doing farm work, so he was exposed to asbestos and Lord-knows what else. He was actually still quite healthy at 73, but when they discovered he had lung cancer, and tried to operate, it was the surgery that sped things up. And as for Dad, well he drank like a fish and smoked like a chimney, and hated doctors and hospitals with a passion. And in his later years, he sacrificed his own self, taking care of Granddad and keeping him out of the nursing home. That really took its toll on Dad, and he died 6 months after Granddad.

But now, seeing how fast Dad's two brothers went downhill, and then having my own Mom taken out relatively young, was a wakeup call.

So, the way I see it, my DNA is probably all over the map. And when it comes to longevity, it's a toss of the dice. I could hit the jackpot, or I could crap out!

 

[street]

“Live fast, die young and have a good-looking corpse!”

-- from the book Knock on Any Door, 1947
-- and popularized in the movie of the same title, 1949

I like that. LOL

 

[1242Vintage]

Genetics are not on my side.

Heart disease took my Dad and most of my uncles in their 60s and Mom had a bypass when she was 60.

Trying to break that trend with healthy habits (daily cardio exercise, healthy eating, preventive care doctor visits, etc). I’ll be 60 soon and last month doc says keep doing what I’m doing.

 

[pacergal]

Grandparents: 79/86, and 42/100
Parents: 79/86
Aunts/Uncles: all in 80's

Lifestyle longevity calculators have DH and I in our mid/late 80's.
Some cancers in our family tree.
You never know.
Live life daily with the Attitude of Gratitude
Thankful for every day here on Earth with family and friends.

 

[Markola]

As with so many aspects of life, Jimmy Carter is a role model. Virtually everyone in his family died young of cancer but he’s still hanging on. My guess is he’s determined to get to 100. Roslyn is hanging in there too but with dementia, unfortunately.

 

[sengsational]

Peter Attia, an MD / clinician that specializes in longevity agrees with the sentiment of the Journal article, I think. That's where I came to understand that it's a lucky roll of the genetic dice that allows you to significantly bring up the average. It's certainly not about being able to last a long time after a health problem arises... it's about not having the health problem arise when you are younger, or at all. Presuming you avoid diseases of lifestyle, you're pretty much at the mercy of your genes.