Record high life expectancy was recorded for both males and females (75.3 years and 80.4 years, respectively). While the gap between male and female life expectancy has narrowed since the peak gap of 7.8 years in 1979, the 5.1 year difference in 2007 is the same as in 2006.
The AP reports, “The world’s 65-and-older population will triple by mid-century to 1 in 6 people, leaving the US and other nations struggling to support the elderly.” In fact, the “number of senior citizens has already jumped 23 percent since 2000 to 516 million, according to census estimates released on Tuesday. That’s more than double the growth rate for the general population.” Currently, seniors “comprise just under 8 percent of the world’s 6.8 billion people. But, demographers warn the biggest shift is yet to come. They cite a coming wave of retirements from baby boomers and China’s Red Guard generation that will shrink pensions, and add to rising healthcare costs.” Data show that, in the US for instance, “residents who are 65 and older currently make up 13 percent of the population, but that will double to 88.5 million by mid-century. In two years, the oldest of the baby boomers will start turning 65. The baby boomer bulge will continue padding the senior population year after year, growing to 1 in 5 US residents by 2030.”
ScienceDaily (Feb. 4, 2009) — A variation in the gene FOXO3A has a positive effect on the life expectancy of humans, and is found much more often in people living to 100 and beyond – moreover, this appears to be true worldwide. Research on French, German and Japanse centenarians have shown increased frequency of this gene in centenarians. FOXO3A is of great interest for genetic research on ageing, since it was reported in the 1990s that the gene was connected with ageing processes in worms and flies. It is because of those observations that the Kiel research group at the Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology has been working for a long time on variations of this gene in humans.
Good news for those of us over 65, a new UCLA study, available in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that light to moderate drinking among seniors reduced their odds of developing physical problems that would prevent them from performing common tasks such as walking, dressing and grooming. “If you start out in good health, alcohol consumption at light to moderate levels can be beneficial,” said lead study author Dr. Arun Karlamangla, an associate professor of medicine in the division of geriatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “But if you don’t start out healthy, alcohol will not give you a benefit.”
HealthDay reported that “in the not-so-distant future, American seniors may turn to helpful, uncomplaining robots to fill the worrisome ‘care gap’ that many face today.” Already, University of Massachusetts researchers have created the uBOT-5, which is “capable of carrying out simple tasks, while it monitors the home environment.” The $65,000 prototype “can even spot trouble — such as a person falling down — and call 911 if necessary.” According to co-inventor Rod Grupen, Ph.D., “any ‘authorized user’ can jump into and guide the robot,” meaning that “if you can’t get to your doctor, your doctor can now come to you.” Moreover, “the UMass team hopes that the uBOT-5 will someday be capable of running simple medical tests, such as measuring blood pressure or blood sugar.”
