VOLUME 2008 issue 15

Anxiety Promotes Longevity in Women

Jianping Zhang, from the Cleveland Clinic (USA), and colleagues have found that higher anxiety levels may help elderly women live longer, but may be harmful to older men.

The team’s fifteen-year long study of 1,000 retired seniors found that women with higher levels of anxiety at the start of the study lived longer than others. Lead researcher Dr. Zhang states that: “Our research indicates that anxiety may have a protective effect on women, possibly causing them to seek medical attention more frequently than men.” Co-researcher Dr. Leo Pozuelo suggests that: “Baseline higher anxiety could have led the [women] to be more active and health conscious.”
[“Anxiety helps elderly women live longer,” US News & World Report, 14 March 2008. Abstract by Zhang et al, in Psychosomatic Medicine, Volume 70, Number 3 (April 2008).]


Dr. Klatz remarks: “Anxiety is perhaps one of the most insidious factors influencing not only how long we live, but how well we live. This study shows an interesting connection between anxiety and mortality, highlighting a potential gender difference that may be a major factor in why, in general, women live longer than men.”

Early Retirement May Contribute to Early Death

Christina Bamia, from the University of Athens (Greece), and colleagues have revealed a connection between early retirement and early death among people who are otherwise in good health. The team studied nearly 17,000 Greek adults, ages 20s to 809s, who were followed for more than 7 years. During that time, the researchers found the number of deaths among retirees was nearly 51% greater than among the same-aged counterparts who were not retired. In particular, early retirement seemed to increase the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
[Bamia C, Trichopoulou A, Trichopoulos D. “Age at retirement and mortality in a general population sample: the Greek EPIC study.” Am J Epidemiol. 2008 Mar 1;167(5):561-9. Epub 2007 Dec 3.]

Dr. Goldman observes: “For many people, early retirement may bring a higher quality of life, but it may also usher in a number of new negative effects, such as financial concerns, reduction in daily physical activity, or depression. This is the latest among studies that suggest that by keeping both mentally and physically active, we can promote health and longevity.”

Boom in Alzheimer’s Cases Predicted for Baby Boomer Generation

New data from the Alzheimer’s Association projects that 14 million, or 18%, of the American Baby Boomer population (numbering 79 million in-total) will develop Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) or dementia in their lifetime. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, if no cure for the disease is found, the US will be faced with 500,000 new cases in 2010 and nearly 1 million a year by 2050. The coming Alzheimer’s epidemic is projected to strain the US healthcare system: in 2005, Medicare spent $91 billion in AD and other dementias, and spending could jump to $160 billion by 2010 and $189 billion by 2015.
[“18% of all boomers expected to develop Alzheimer’s,” USA Today, 18 March 2008; reporting on “2008 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures” by the Alzheimer’s Association.]

Dr. Klatz comments: “Age is the singlemost greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s. The likelihood of developing AD doubles every five years after age 65. While medical advancements have made great strides in diseases such as cancer and heart disease, breakthroughs to prevent, delay, and effectively treat AD have been lagging. This is a major public health issue that directly impacts public policy.”

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