Some Centenarian Statistics

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The Life Extension Foundation News relays some interesting statistics on the health and lifestyle history of participants in the New England Centenarian Study. The majority (80% or so) of those who reach the age of 100 have survived age-related conditions - often for decades - rather than avoided them altogether. This would seem to indicate that genetic and other factors are as important as suspected: "Delaying the onset of these diseases or escaping them entirely does not seem to be the only assurance of a very long life. ... brothers of centenarians are 17 times more likely, and sisters 8 times more likely, to live to at least 100 than the general population."

Link: http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=1281&Section=AGING