Certain healthy habits may shorten the time older adults spend disabled at end of life

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-10/ags-chh100516.php

Public Release: 5-Oct-2016
Certain healthy habits may shorten the time older adults spend disabled at end of life
American Geriatrics Society

It comes as no surprise that people tend to enjoy a better quality of life when they're able to perform daily activities (eating, dressing, toileting, getting up from a bed or chair, bathing, and walking around the house, for example) without assistance. Recently, researchers studied whether or not having a healthy lifestyle later in life could shorten the period of time before death that older adults spend living with disabilities that limit their independence. Their findings are published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

The research team studied information from 5,888 people 65-years-old and older who were enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study.

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The researchers learned important new information from their study. They reported that several factors seemed to be associated with a longer period of disability before death among older adults. These activities included:

Smoking
Being inactive (Those who walked more city blocks per week experienced fewer years of disability than non-walkers. Each additional 25 blocks people walked slightly lengthened their able-bodied years.)
Eating an unhealthy diet
Being underweight or obese

Healthy lifestyle habits can potentially shorten the period of time older adults spend being less independent and more disabled before their death, said the researchers.

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