Longevity Secrets of 'Super Agers'
By Juie Edgar
Most of us won’t be healthy enough to cut a rug into our 90s. But some people are not only dancing, but cooking, driving, and volunteering at an age when they’re supposed to be feeble, addled by dementia, or both. Researchers, with an eye to an ever-aging population, are trying to figure out why.
Scientists are studying “super agers” -- 90-somethings who are living without significant physical or memory problems -- to zero in on the kinds of healthy habits that may keep us all living longer and better.
With life expectancy on the rise -- the 85-plus population in the U.S. is expected to triple to 14.6 million by 2040 -- researchers want to figure out how we can increase our health span, or the amount of time we’ll live in good health.