Disability Stronger Predictor of Longevity Than Disease Is

(Page 3)

A separate study in the same journal from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston revealed that men who do not smoke and practice a healthy lifestyle -- involving regular, vigorous exercise and weight control -- are more likely to live to age 90 and beyond.

The finding was based on questionnaires completed in the early 1980s by almost 2,400 men (average age 72), 40 percent of whom went on to live past 90. The analysis also suggested that men aged 90 plus have better physical and mental function then men who die at a younger age.

More information

For additional information on centenarians in the United States, visit the U.S. Census Bureau.