Saturday, March 03, 2007

Aging Gracefully: A Retrospective Analysis of Functional Status in Okinawan Centenarians

This study retrospectively explored the late-life functional status of Okinawan centenarians.
Methods: Activities of daily living were measured retrospectively at five time points (10, 5, 3, and 1 year prior and present) for 22 centenarians in relation to seven physical, two sensory, and two cognitive functions using the Inoue Index.
Results: In all, 82% of individuals were still functioning independently at a mean age of 92 years and almost two-thirds were still functioning independently at a mean age of 97 years.
Conclusion: Preliminary analyses suggest high functional status in Okinawan centenarians throughout their 90s. The genetic and environmental factors contributing to this successful aging phenomenon deserve further investigation.

http://ajgponline.org/cgi/content/abstract/15/3/252

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