Shutterstock
A new, ongoing study examined found three things in common with people who lived into their 90s: Consumption of coffee, alcohol and being overweight in their 70s, among other factors that helped people reach this milestone, while researchers also gained some valuable insight about Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Researchers from the 90+ Study, which was initiated in 2003, looked at America’s fastest-growing age group, to study the oldest of the old. The researchers wanted to know: “What allows people to live to age 90 and beyond?”
The researchers in this ongoing study are looking for clues to uncover what types of things help aid longevity, whether food choices, lifestyles, activities or other factors.
The researchers are also examining decline, researching what risk factors might lead to mortality. The study also examined what factors may lead to dementia or diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
What follows are the results of their latest findings in this ongoing 90+ Study.
There were three findings researchers discovered that completely went against conventional wisdom: Caffeine intake, alcohol consumption and being overweight. Of course, the key to all this was moderation.
According to the study, people who drank moderate amounts of coffee or alcohol lived longer than those people who abstained.
The study found that people who were overweight during their 70s, lived longer than those people whose weight was normal or underweight.
In the study, the researchers also gained some valuable new insight about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
They found that people who were 90 years old and older, and who possessed the APOE2 gene, were less likely to have Alzheimer’s dementia. However, the same people were much more likely to have Alzheimer’s neuropathology in their brains.
According to the study, more than 40% of people aged 90 years and older suffer from dementia. Among these, nearly 80% are disabled. Women are more affected than men.
Researchers also found that people who were experiencing dementia past the age of 90, did not possess sufficient neuropathology in their brains to account for their cognitive loss.
