Retinal Age Gap Predicts Mortality

Interesting study out of the UK. As you age the picture of the fundus of your eye changes. If you’re a 60 year old with an eye that looks like it belongs to a 70-year-old, it’s a highly predictive marker for an early death.

https://bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2021/11/17/bjophthalmol-20…

intercst

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This is interesting. I wish I could get the data for myself.

Here’s an all-cause mortality test anyone can do at home.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23242910/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121213085202.h…

**Ability to sit and rise from the floor is closely correlated with all-cause mortality risk**

**Date: December 13, 2012**
**Source: European Society of Cardiology**

**Summary:**
**A simple screening test of musculo-skeletal fitness has proved remarkably predictive of all-cause mortality in a study of more than 2000 middle-aged and older men and women.**

**The test was a simple assessment of the subjects' ability to sit and then rise unaided from the floor. The assessment was performed in 2002 adults of both sexes and with ages ranging from 51 to 80 years. The subjects were followed-up from the date of the baseline test until the date of death or 31 October 2011, a median follow-up of 6.3 years....**

**Over the study period 159 subjects died, a mortality rate of 7.9%. The majority of these deaths occurred in people with low test scores -- indeed, only two of the deaths were in subjects who gained a composite score of 10. ...**

**A composite score below 8 (that is, requiring more than one hand or knee support to sit and rise from the floor in a stable way) were associated with 2 fold higher death rates over the 6.3 year study period....** [end quote]

Dr Araújo said: “It is well known that aerobic fitness is strongly related to survival, but our study also shows that maintaining high levels of body flexibility, muscle strength, power-to-body weight ratio and co-ordination are not only good for performing daily activities but have a favourable influence on life expectancy.”

My personal score is 8. I need one hand to sit down and one hand to rise up. I strongly recommend yoga for all older people since any yoga class will require getting down on the mat and standing up many times, in addition to exercises which enhance strength, balance and flexibility. I have done yoga for over 30 years and also Zumba and HIIT classes 5 times a week. (Plus a daily walk.)

Doing all 3 warmups on Keiko Saito’s YouTube channel will provide all the aerobic exercise needed for one day without spending a lot of time. Go to the link and click to the right since the warmups are at the end of the videos instead of the beginning where they belong.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6lboaflsMXeTxWnyVKi6Hg

Wendy

10 Likes

Walking speed in older adults is another purported marker for all-cause mortality:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34729613/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32861851/

Particularly (exclusively?) in older men:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34729613/

but these establish only correlation, not causation i.e. if age-related health ssues are slowing you down, it’s not clear that deliberately walking faster (or, worse, hollering at Grandpa to speed it up! 'cause it’s good for him) will help.

–sutton
in favor of yoga, stretching, and brisk walks

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Walking speed in older adults is another purported marker for all-cause mortality:

Considering that the WS of corpses is zero… :innocent:

The scientists should know that we older folks are in no hurry to get there. That might account for the slower pace.

The Captain
trying to make sense of seance…

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Considering that the WS of corpses is zero… :innocent:

But infants also have a WS of zero…and they mostly turn out OK. :slight_smile:

Mike

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But infants also have a WS of zero…and they mostly turn out OK. :slight_smile:

From zero to zero with a wild sprint in between!

The Captain

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My personal score is 8. I need one hand to sit down and one hand to rise up.

======================================================

My personal score is the same as yours. I am 79 years old. But, I do not think I will live to be 85 years old.

Jaak

My personal score is the same as yours. I am 79 years old. But, I do not think I will live to be 85 years old.

Unless you have some sort of illness, or some form of ongoing deterioration, if you are 79, I think you have a pretty good chance of reaching 85.

5 Likes

My personal score is the same as yours. I am 79 years old. But, I do not think I will live to be 85 years old.

Unless you have some sort of illness, or some form of ongoing deterioration, if you are 79, I think you have a pretty good chance of reaching 85.

According to the US’s Social Security Administration in 2019, on the day an American celebrates their 79th birthday their remaining life expectancy is 8.98 years for males and 10.45 years for females. These are averages, meaning some won’t get that much and some will live longer. If you’re healthy, bet on longer.

https://www.ssa.gov/oact/STATS/table4c6.html

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A composite score below 8 (that is, requiring more than one hand or knee support to sit and rise from the floor in a stable way) were associated with 2 fold higher death rates over the 6.3 year study period…quote

I do not need any hand to sit. I have no clue how not to use a hand to begin to bounce strongly off the floor. I do not have any stability problems. I get very young very thin people can get off the floor from sitting with just their legs.

The 2 fold increase in mortality is significant, but no where near 100%. It is also a very heavily weighted stat by those who died in the study. Their health was truly bad to begin with in most cases.

The most important factor is your mother’s and her mother’s age of death. That gives you an idea of your potential life span. What you do with that is up to you.