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How long your parents lived does not affect how long you will live.
According to researchers, what matters it is how you live your life. That determines how old you will get.
According to research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, shows that hereditary factors don’t play a major role and that lifestyle has the biggest impact.”
The study group consisted of men born in 1913 that have participated in health and longevity studies in Gothenburg for many years.
Those in the 1913 Men Study who did not smoke, consumed moderate amounts of coffee and had a good socio-economic status at the age of 50 (measured in terms of housing costs), as well as good physical working capacity at the age of 54 and low cholesterol at 50 had the greatest chance of celebrating their 90th birthday.
Many of these factors have previously been identified as playing a role in cardiovascular disease, but the study shows for the first time that they are important for survival in general.
This has enabled researchers to follow the development of illnesses in a specific age group, and to compare the health of 50-year-olds in 2003 with that of 50-year-olds in 1963, for example.
Women have also been included in the study since 2003. Several variables have been studied over the years, including BMI, smoking habits, cholesterol, exercise habits and blood pressure.
The men born in 1913 were examined when they were 50, 54, 60, 67, 75 and 80. Of the 855 men who took part in the study from the start, 111 (13%) were still alive at the age of 90.
Over the years the material has generated many research articles and doctoral theses. An interesting result came in 2008 when researchers were able to show that the drop in the number of smokers, combined with lower cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure, between 1963 and 2003 could offer an explanation for the marked downturn in the number of heart attacks during this 40-year period.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
2011 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index
A 55-year-old couple purchasing long-term care insurance protection can expect to pay $2,350-per-year (combined) for about $338,000 of current benefits ($169,000 each) which will grow to about $800,000 of combined coverage for the couple when they turn age 80.
The data comes from the 2011 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index published by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance http://www.aaltci.org that analyzed rates for 11 long-term care insurance policies. According to the Association report, a 55-year old single individual pays $1,480 annually for comparable coverage. If the 55-year-old couple did not qualify for preferred health discounts, their cost would increase by $325 annually.
“We significantly expanded this year’s survey to include more relevant scenarios for both couples and individuals at varying ages, health conditions and to take into account the significant spread in costs among insurers for virtually identical coverage,” explains Jesse Slome, executive director of the long-term care insurance industry trade organization. The study found that rates for comparable coverage from leading insurers could vary by between 41-to-48 percent.
According to Association research, three-fourths (78%) of long-term care insurance policies are purchased by couples where either both or just one spouse purchases coverage. The average age for individual purchasers is 57, Slome explains with some 76.3 percent of purchases made between ages 45 and 64 according to the Association’s research. The 2011 Price Index analyzed costs for couples at ages 55, 60 and 65.
The study reported rates for individuals who qualify for good-health discounts as well as those who qualify for standard rates as a result of having one or more health issues. In addition, for the first time, the analysis included a three percent compound inflation growth factor versus the five percent formula that has been used in prior studies. “More purchasers are opting for this formula which significantly reduces the cost of coverage and can be quite adequate in terms of future benefits,” Slome explains. The Price Index also looked at rates for policies including the newer Shared Care option whereby two policyholders can each access a combined pool of benefits.
“The shared care option is now highly attractive to couples,” states Larry Moore, Director of Marketing for American Independent Marketing, a leading national marketer. “The ability to purchase a more affordable shorter duration policy but have access to a much larger combined pool of dollars is easy to explain and of great value to the buyer.”
Including the ‘Shared Care’ option, a 65 year old couple with average (standard) health can expect to pay $4,660-per-year (combined) for about $338,000 of current combined benefits which will grow to about $527,000 of coverage at age 80. “To best educate consumers, the Price Index reports average rates individuals can obtain from leading insurers,” Slome explains. “However, for this same level of protection, a 65-year old couple could pay as much as $7,200 a year.”
The complete Price Index will be published in the Association’s 2011 Long-Term Care Insurance. For more information, visit the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance’s website by clicking here.
The data comes from the 2011 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index published by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance http://www.aaltci.org that analyzed rates for 11 long-term care insurance policies. According to the Association report, a 55-year old single individual pays $1,480 annually for comparable coverage. If the 55-year-old couple did not qualify for preferred health discounts, their cost would increase by $325 annually.
“We significantly expanded this year’s survey to include more relevant scenarios for both couples and individuals at varying ages, health conditions and to take into account the significant spread in costs among insurers for virtually identical coverage,” explains Jesse Slome, executive director of the long-term care insurance industry trade organization. The study found that rates for comparable coverage from leading insurers could vary by between 41-to-48 percent.
According to Association research, three-fourths (78%) of long-term care insurance policies are purchased by couples where either both or just one spouse purchases coverage. The average age for individual purchasers is 57, Slome explains with some 76.3 percent of purchases made between ages 45 and 64 according to the Association’s research. The 2011 Price Index analyzed costs for couples at ages 55, 60 and 65.
The study reported rates for individuals who qualify for good-health discounts as well as those who qualify for standard rates as a result of having one or more health issues. In addition, for the first time, the analysis included a three percent compound inflation growth factor versus the five percent formula that has been used in prior studies. “More purchasers are opting for this formula which significantly reduces the cost of coverage and can be quite adequate in terms of future benefits,” Slome explains. The Price Index also looked at rates for policies including the newer Shared Care option whereby two policyholders can each access a combined pool of benefits.
“The shared care option is now highly attractive to couples,” states Larry Moore, Director of Marketing for American Independent Marketing, a leading national marketer. “The ability to purchase a more affordable shorter duration policy but have access to a much larger combined pool of dollars is easy to explain and of great value to the buyer.”
Including the ‘Shared Care’ option, a 65 year old couple with average (standard) health can expect to pay $4,660-per-year (combined) for about $338,000 of current combined benefits which will grow to about $527,000 of coverage at age 80. “To best educate consumers, the Price Index reports average rates individuals can obtain from leading insurers,” Slome explains. “However, for this same level of protection, a 65-year old couple could pay as much as $7,200 a year.”
The complete Price Index will be published in the Association’s 2011 Long-Term Care Insurance. For more information, visit the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance’s website by clicking here.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Parent Longevity Matters Less
How long your parents lived does not affect how long you will live.
According to researchers, what matters it is how you live your life. That determines how old you will get.
According to research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, shows that hereditary factors don’t play a major role and that lifestyle has the biggest impact.”
The study group consisted of men born in 1913 that have participated in health and longevity studies in Gothenburg for many years.
Those in the 1913 Men Study who did not smoke, consumed moderate amounts of coffee and had a good socio-economic status at the age of 50 (measured in terms of housing costs), as well as good physical working capacity at the age of 54 and low cholesterol at 50 had the greatest chance of celebrating their 90th birthday.
Many of these factors have previously been identified as playing a role in cardiovascular disease, but the study shows for the first time that they are important for survival in general.
This has enabled researchers to follow the development of illnesses in a specific age group, and to compare the health of 50-year-olds in 2003 with that of 50-year-olds in 1963, for example.
Women have also been included in the study since 2003. Several variables have been studied over the years, including BMI, smoking habits, cholesterol, exercise habits and blood pressure.
The men born in 1913 were examined when they were 50, 54, 60, 67, 75 and 80. Of the 855 men who took part in the study from the start, 111 (13%) were still alive at the age of 90.
Over the years the material has generated many research articles and doctoral theses. An interesting result came in 2008 when researchers were able to show that the drop in the number of smokers, combined with lower cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure, between 1963 and 2003 could offer an explanation for the marked downturn in the number of heart attacks during this 40-year period.
According to researchers, what matters it is how you live your life. That determines how old you will get.
According to research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, shows that hereditary factors don’t play a major role and that lifestyle has the biggest impact.”
The study group consisted of men born in 1913 that have participated in health and longevity studies in Gothenburg for many years.
Those in the 1913 Men Study who did not smoke, consumed moderate amounts of coffee and had a good socio-economic status at the age of 50 (measured in terms of housing costs), as well as good physical working capacity at the age of 54 and low cholesterol at 50 had the greatest chance of celebrating their 90th birthday.
Many of these factors have previously been identified as playing a role in cardiovascular disease, but the study shows for the first time that they are important for survival in general.
This has enabled researchers to follow the development of illnesses in a specific age group, and to compare the health of 50-year-olds in 2003 with that of 50-year-olds in 1963, for example.
Women have also been included in the study since 2003. Several variables have been studied over the years, including BMI, smoking habits, cholesterol, exercise habits and blood pressure.
The men born in 1913 were examined when they were 50, 54, 60, 67, 75 and 80. Of the 855 men who took part in the study from the start, 111 (13%) were still alive at the age of 90.
Over the years the material has generated many research articles and doctoral theses. An interesting result came in 2008 when researchers were able to show that the drop in the number of smokers, combined with lower cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure, between 1963 and 2003 could offer an explanation for the marked downturn in the number of heart attacks during this 40-year period.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Americans With Diabetes Now Nearly 26MM
Nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes, according to new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Half of Americans aged 65 and older have prediabetes, and nearly 27 percent have diabetes. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Diabetes costs $174 billion annually, including $116 billion in direct medical expenses.
In addition, an estimated 79 million U.S. adults have prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes raises a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke explains Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance .
Diabetes affects 8.3 percent of Americans of all ages, and 11.3 percent of adults aged 20 and older, according to the National Diabetes Fact Sheet for 2011. About 27 percent of those with diabetes—7 million Americans—do not know they have the disease.
Prediabetes affects 35 percent of adults aged 20 and older. In 2008, CDC estimated that 23.6 million Americans, or 7.8 percent of the population, had diabetes and another 57 million adults had prediabetes. The 2011 estimates have increased for several reasons:
More people are developing diabetes. Many people are living longer with diabetes, which raises the total number of those with the disease. Better management of the disease is improving cardiovascular disease risk factors and reducing complications such as kidney failure and amputations.
Hemoglobin A1c is now used as a diagnostic test, and was therefore incorporated into calculations of national prevalence for the first time. The test, also called glycated hemoglobin, measures levels of blood glucose (sugar) over a period of two to three months. Because of this change, estimates of populations with diabetes and prediabetes in the 2011 fact sheet are not directly comparable to estimates in previous fact sheets.
In a study published last year, CDC projected that as many as 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue. Type 2 diabetes, in which the body gradually loses its ability to use and produce insulin, accounts for 90 percent to 95 percent of diabetes cases. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include older age, obesity, family history, having diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes), a sedentary lifestyle, and race/ethnicity. Groups at higher risk for the disease are African-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and some Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Half of Americans aged 65 and older have prediabetes, and nearly 27 percent have diabetes. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Diabetes costs $174 billion annually, including $116 billion in direct medical expenses.
Half of Americans aged 65 and older have prediabetes, and nearly 27 percent have diabetes. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Diabetes costs $174 billion annually, including $116 billion in direct medical expenses.
In addition, an estimated 79 million U.S. adults have prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes raises a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke explains Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance .
Diabetes affects 8.3 percent of Americans of all ages, and 11.3 percent of adults aged 20 and older, according to the National Diabetes Fact Sheet for 2011. About 27 percent of those with diabetes—7 million Americans—do not know they have the disease.
Prediabetes affects 35 percent of adults aged 20 and older. In 2008, CDC estimated that 23.6 million Americans, or 7.8 percent of the population, had diabetes and another 57 million adults had prediabetes. The 2011 estimates have increased for several reasons:
More people are developing diabetes. Many people are living longer with diabetes, which raises the total number of those with the disease. Better management of the disease is improving cardiovascular disease risk factors and reducing complications such as kidney failure and amputations.
Hemoglobin A1c is now used as a diagnostic test, and was therefore incorporated into calculations of national prevalence for the first time. The test, also called glycated hemoglobin, measures levels of blood glucose (sugar) over a period of two to three months. Because of this change, estimates of populations with diabetes and prediabetes in the 2011 fact sheet are not directly comparable to estimates in previous fact sheets.
In a study published last year, CDC projected that as many as 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue. Type 2 diabetes, in which the body gradually loses its ability to use and produce insulin, accounts for 90 percent to 95 percent of diabetes cases. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include older age, obesity, family history, having diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes), a sedentary lifestyle, and race/ethnicity. Groups at higher risk for the disease are African-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and some Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Half of Americans aged 65 and older have prediabetes, and nearly 27 percent have diabetes. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Diabetes costs $174 billion annually, including $116 billion in direct medical expenses.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program Re-Opens
January 29, 2011 Beginning this Spring, federal employees, retirees and their relatives, including same-sex domestic partners, will be able to apply for the government’s long-term care insurance option.
According to a Federal Register notice issued on Friday, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced that open season for the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program will run from April 4 through May 27.
Active federal employees, their spouses and same-sex domestic partners who currently are not enrolled can apply under abbreviated underwriting rules and will have to provide only limited health information. Retirees and other qualified relatives will undergo a longer review of medical and health history in the application process.
“The federal long-term care insurance plan is excellent coverage and several hundred thousand individuals participate in the program,” explains Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance. The program does not offer certain discounts available from individual policies sold by insurance agents. “If you are married and in good health, you may be able to get more coverage for less cost,” Slome notes.
Same-sex domestic partners of federal workers for the first time will be able to enroll in the program, which helps pay for the cost of care when participants need help with daily activities, or have a severe cognitive illness such as Alzheimer’s disease.
OPM in June 2010 issued a final regulation broadening the definition of relatives qualified to participate in the long-term care insurance program to include the same-sex domestic partners of federal employees, U.S. Postal Service workers and retirees. Prior to the new rule, which took effect on July 1, 2010, only spouses, parents and adult children were eligible for coverage.
The expansion of coverage follows a June 2009 presidential memorandum asking that government do as much as it can legally to put same-sex domestic partners on equal footing with heterosexual married couples.
Coverage will begin on the first day of the month after an application is approved, and premiums will be based on the enrollee’s age and option selected, according to the notice.
According to a Federal Register notice issued on Friday, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced that open season for the Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program will run from April 4 through May 27.
Active federal employees, their spouses and same-sex domestic partners who currently are not enrolled can apply under abbreviated underwriting rules and will have to provide only limited health information. Retirees and other qualified relatives will undergo a longer review of medical and health history in the application process.
“The federal long-term care insurance plan is excellent coverage and several hundred thousand individuals participate in the program,” explains Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance. The program does not offer certain discounts available from individual policies sold by insurance agents. “If you are married and in good health, you may be able to get more coverage for less cost,” Slome notes.
Same-sex domestic partners of federal workers for the first time will be able to enroll in the program, which helps pay for the cost of care when participants need help with daily activities, or have a severe cognitive illness such as Alzheimer’s disease.
OPM in June 2010 issued a final regulation broadening the definition of relatives qualified to participate in the long-term care insurance program to include the same-sex domestic partners of federal employees, U.S. Postal Service workers and retirees. Prior to the new rule, which took effect on July 1, 2010, only spouses, parents and adult children were eligible for coverage.
The expansion of coverage follows a June 2009 presidential memorandum asking that government do as much as it can legally to put same-sex domestic partners on equal footing with heterosexual married couples.
Coverage will begin on the first day of the month after an application is approved, and premiums will be based on the enrollee’s age and option selected, according to the notice.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Tests May Predict Alzheimer’s Disease
A scanning test that aims to reveal the presence of Alzheimer’s disease may allow doctors to try to treat the illness in its early stages.
According to researchers, another study found that blood tests could indicate higher risks of dementia later in life.
Alzheimer’s disease is not curable and existing treatments only have limited effects notes Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance. Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of costly long-term care need among seniors.
The ability to precisely diagnose Alzheimer’s disease during life, which is now impossible, could lead to improved research.
The findings from the study were published Jan. 19 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Currently, doctors correctly diagnose Alzheimer’s disease about 85 percent of the time. The illness can be confirmed only through brain analysis after death.
In one of the new studies, researchers led by a team from Avid Radiopharmaceuticals reported that they were able to find signs of Alzheimer’s disease by using PET scanning technology. They had scanned 35 people who appeared to have the disease before their deaths and looked for signs of beta amyloid, a kind of gunk that clogs the brain in people with the illness.
The other study attempted to measure levels of beta amyloid in the blood. It linked lower levels — a sign that the gunk is getting tied up in the brain — to higher cognitive problems in 997 elderly people over a nine-year period.
The researchers also found that people with higher levels of “cognitive reserve” — such as those with higher levels of education and literacy — seemed to be buffered against dementia, said the study’s lead author at the University of California, San Francisco.
According to researchers, another study found that blood tests could indicate higher risks of dementia later in life.
Alzheimer’s disease is not curable and existing treatments only have limited effects notes Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance. Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of costly long-term care need among seniors.
The ability to precisely diagnose Alzheimer’s disease during life, which is now impossible, could lead to improved research.
The findings from the study were published Jan. 19 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Currently, doctors correctly diagnose Alzheimer’s disease about 85 percent of the time. The illness can be confirmed only through brain analysis after death.
In one of the new studies, researchers led by a team from Avid Radiopharmaceuticals reported that they were able to find signs of Alzheimer’s disease by using PET scanning technology. They had scanned 35 people who appeared to have the disease before their deaths and looked for signs of beta amyloid, a kind of gunk that clogs the brain in people with the illness.
The other study attempted to measure levels of beta amyloid in the blood. It linked lower levels — a sign that the gunk is getting tied up in the brain — to higher cognitive problems in 997 elderly people over a nine-year period.
The researchers also found that people with higher levels of “cognitive reserve” — such as those with higher levels of education and literacy — seemed to be buffered against dementia, said the study’s lead author at the University of California, San Francisco.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Cancer Costs Will Soar
A new report predicts that by 2020, the annual cost of cancer care in the United States is expected to reach at least $158 billion.
According to the report from the U.S. National Cancer Institute that’s a 27 percent jump from 2010. The surge in cost will be largely driven by an aging population that is expected to develop more cases of cancer in the near-term.
Projected costs could go even higher if the price tag for care rises faster than expected. Experts described the 2020 cost estimate as “on the low side” according to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance which tracks medical and health issues impacting aging Americans.
Cancer is a disease of aging and the population of elderly Americans is expected to rise from 40 million in 2009 to 70 million by 2030 notes Jesse Slome, executive director for the trade group. Improvements in screening mean cancer is becoming more identifiable and treatable, but therapies are becoming increasingly expensive.
If the trend in survival and costs continue as they have been, then the estimates could be as high as $207 billion by 2020 one reseracher predicted. The report is published online Jan. 12 and in the Jan. 19 print issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
To estimate the cost of cancer treatment, the research team looked at data on 13 cancers in men and 16 in women. Tracking the rate of these cancers and the current costs to treat them in 2010, they were able to project costs in 2020.
In these calculations researchers assumed that costs would rise by only 2 percent a year. The largest increases in cost over the period will be for breast cancer at 32 percent and prostate cancer at 42 percent, simply because more people will be living longer with these diseases, the researchers noted.
For example, while the cost of treating breast cancer remains relatively low (compared to other tumor types), by 2020 this cancer will incur the highest costs — about $20.5 billion — since there are expected to be many more women living with the disease.
Commenting on the study, Elizabeth Ward, at the American Cancer Society, said that “a big component of the rise in cost is just the growth and aging of the population. We are just going to have more people developing cancer and under treatment for cancer,” she said.
According to the report from the U.S. National Cancer Institute that’s a 27 percent jump from 2010. The surge in cost will be largely driven by an aging population that is expected to develop more cases of cancer in the near-term.
Projected costs could go even higher if the price tag for care rises faster than expected. Experts described the 2020 cost estimate as “on the low side” according to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance which tracks medical and health issues impacting aging Americans.
Cancer is a disease of aging and the population of elderly Americans is expected to rise from 40 million in 2009 to 70 million by 2030 notes Jesse Slome, executive director for the trade group. Improvements in screening mean cancer is becoming more identifiable and treatable, but therapies are becoming increasingly expensive.
If the trend in survival and costs continue as they have been, then the estimates could be as high as $207 billion by 2020 one reseracher predicted. The report is published online Jan. 12 and in the Jan. 19 print issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
To estimate the cost of cancer treatment, the research team looked at data on 13 cancers in men and 16 in women. Tracking the rate of these cancers and the current costs to treat them in 2010, they were able to project costs in 2020.
In these calculations researchers assumed that costs would rise by only 2 percent a year. The largest increases in cost over the period will be for breast cancer at 32 percent and prostate cancer at 42 percent, simply because more people will be living longer with these diseases, the researchers noted.
For example, while the cost of treating breast cancer remains relatively low (compared to other tumor types), by 2020 this cancer will incur the highest costs — about $20.5 billion — since there are expected to be many more women living with the disease.
Commenting on the study, Elizabeth Ward, at the American Cancer Society, said that “a big component of the rise in cost is just the growth and aging of the population. We are just going to have more people developing cancer and under treatment for cancer,” she said.
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