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Health See other Health Articles Title: What Are My Chances of Living To 100? A Montreal woman recently developed a somewhat rare and fascinating condition. She has been practicing Yoga for years and can now contort and fold her body into positions that would give my hernias hernias. Bending over she can slap her palms on the floor while touching her forehead to her knees. She also walks quicker than the average man and talks quicker than the average woman. She flits about as though she exists on a diet of lemon rinds and Jolt. Do not enter into a battle of wits with this woman – you will lose. If repartee was a sword fight you would be sliced, diced and iced, then the pieces tossed with relish upon the scrap heap of past victims. When her phone rings she traverses the room in an instant and answers it before the first ring has ended. She can recite baseball stats with such detail and accuracy that she can tell you how many hits, runs, scratches and spits each ballplayer has. Her unusual condition recently caused a police cruiser to come by her home and cart her off to help her deal with this condition. They were taking her to a celebration of her 100th birthday. She is my great Aunt Gertie, she is my GREAT Aunt Gertie. She has not just survived or crept up to the century mark, but this feisty pint-sized bull terrier has crashed through that barrier like my stocks crash through record lows. She is brighter now than I will ever be, sprier than spring and is laughing and chuckling her way past 100 as though it were 20. When she takes me for a hike up the boulevard, she leaves me behind, choking in the clouds of smoke that stream off her Air Jordans. Her brother lived to 99, her sisters (which included the most wonderful woman to ever set foot on this planet, my grandmother) lived into their late 90’s. Genes being what they are, I may yet get to see President George Z. Bush. How rare is this condition? Of every 5,129 people born in North America, only one will reach age 100. Few will blow by it the way Gertie has. Some families possess the longevity gene, apparently actually located somewhere on chromosome 4, that offers prolonged protection from age-related diseases. One American family had five of seven children live to be centenarians. One brother blew out his 108th birthday candles in the presence of his 102 and 101-year old younger sisters. But what is remarkable is that many of these centenarians just don’t simply survive to 100, they are in strikingly good shape, mentally and physically robust, particularly those who live in families where living long is the norm. Oddly enough, it has been remarked that most seem to share a sense of fun and a sense of curiosity, perhaps a trait of this Ponce de Leon gene, or perhaps just a trait that makes longevity enjoyable. They look and act much younger than the average person of that age. I, for example, have been told that I act quite a bit a younger than I actually am. Apparently my mature years are still a long way in front in of me yet. North America currently is home to about 75,000 centenarians, 30% of whom live independently and claim to be in excellent health. Another 40% claim to be in good health. They have escaped the big three; stroke, cancer and heart attacks which normally ravage those in their 40’s-70’s. Chances are that if you have avoided these crippling killers by age 90, then you have likely avoided them altogether. You get to die of some other cause like pneumonia or bungee jumping accidents. Assuming you don’t sabotage your genetic predisposition by smoking, drinking and driving in downtown Richmond, then expect to live to your family’s age (do your genealogy and you’ll know exactly what your life expectancy is.) 75% of today’s centenarians are women, likely due to the stress-free life that we men allow them to enjoy. In leaving this Montreal party I commented to my Great aunt who stood and stretched out her leg in an impossible angle and rested it on my shoulder, “ I hope to see you next year for your 101st party.” She snapped back, “I don’t see why not, you seem healthy enough to me.” Gertie- she’s a beaut. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 1.
#1. To: Tatarewicz (#0)
(1) Formatting is your friend. (2) The chances of living to 100 are increasing, but the reasons you'd want to live to 100 are decreasing!
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