Understanding Money and Longevity

Investing Strategies Retirement Investing
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…another reason to wait until age 70 to collect Social Security for those who can afford it.

free link:
https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/life-expectancy-longevity-wealth-1f15a18a?st=NMqALV&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

{{ Once Americans make it to their late 50s, the wealthiest 10% live to a median age of around 86 years, roughly 14 years longer than the least wealthy 10%, according to a study published earlier this year in JAMA Internal Medicine.

People with more money can afford healthier food, more healthcare and homes in safer, less-polluted neighborhoods, says Kathryn Himmelstein, a co-author of the study and a medical director at the Boston Public Health Commission.

Though you can’t add more months or years to your online shopping cart yet, health and aging researchers say there are ways to spend money to improve your chances of living longer. They suggest favoring purchases that help you track your health, stay active and reduce stress. }}

I was diagnosed with a potentially deadly kidney disease 25 years ago at age 44 (lupus nephritis). I’m pretty sure that the fact I early retired in 1994 at age 38 has improved my longevity. Here’s the last set of labs I had done two weeks ago.

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A value of 94 is about what you’d expect to see in a healthy 25-yr-old.

intercst

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Congratulations on your success.

No question that poverty and reduced access to healthcare shortens life expectancy. The other end is interesting. Wealthy is substantially better than upper middle class? Maybe wealthy spare no expense and always have the best.

My kidney doctor tells me 80% kidney function is typical in my age group. She uses the creatinine number in blood tests to estimate. Those with high blood pressure are often much lower. They start dialysis at less than 20%.

People who donate a kidney are taking a risk.

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They talk about that in the WSJ article.

{{ Higher incomes correlate with longer lives, but there are diminishing returns. Each successive jump in pay is linked to smaller boosts in longevity, a 2016 study from the research group Opportunity Insights found.

On average, someone with a household income of $14,000 would live about 10 fewer months than someone making $20,000, per the study’s calculations, which used inflation-adjusted 2012 dollars.

That same 10-month gap exists between household incomes of roughly $160,000 and $225,000, as well as between $225,000 and $1.95 million. }}

So millions of dollars buy less of an improvement in longevity as you move up the income/wealth scale.

Also there are lots of things you can do to improve your longevity that don’t cost anything, or may actually save you money.

For example, about 15 years ago I decided I was going to walk everywhere within a 3 mile radius of my home for the exercise. It isn’t uncommon for me to walk 40 or 50 miles per week.

I change the oil in my automobile every 7,500 miles. That’s now once every 5 years – I’m only driving 1,500 miles per year. Washington State has about $225/yr in extra fees it assesses on EVs. That’s just about equal to the cost of the 60 gallons of gasoline I bought last year at $4/gal.

On eGFR, my doctor told me that it typically declines with age. The average teenager would have a value of 115, while the average person in their 60’s would have an eGFR in the 60’s. Perhaps that 60 value for seniors just means that most of them are unhealthy?

intercst

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