Do longer lives mean that growing numbers of us will spend more time in a state of high-cost dependency? Evidence from one elderly cohort suggests that excessive levels of disability are far from inevitable.
References
Crimmins, E. M. Annu. Rev. Public Health 25, 79–98 (2004).
Manton, K. G. Annu. Rev. Public Health 29, 91–113 (2008).
Christensen, K., McGue, M., Petersen, I., Jeune, B. & Vaupel, J. W. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 105, 13274–13279 (2008).
Jagger, C. et al. J. Gerontol. Med. Sci. 62A, 408–414 (2007).
Lubitz, J. et al. N. Engl. J. Med. 349, 1048–1055 (2003).
Olshansky, S. J., Perry, D., Miller, R. A. & Butler, R. N. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 1114, 11–13 (2007).
Kirkwood, T. B. L. Cell 120, 437–447 (2005).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kirkwood, T. Healthy old age. Nature 455, 739–740 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/455739a
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/455739a
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
Frailty and the risk of cognitive impairment
Alzheimer's Research & Therapy (2015)
-
Aging and cancer: can mTOR inhibitors kill two birds with one drug?
Targeted Oncology (2011)