Rich live longer in good health
WEALTHY people can expect to be free of disabilities for almost a decade longer than the most deprived, research has found.
In a study of 25,000 adults aged 50 and over, the affluent enjoyed eight to nine extra years of good health.
Disability was measured according to difficulty performing daily tasks such as dressing, showering, getting in and out of bed, and shopping for groceries.
Participants in England and the US were divided into three groups based on their total household followed for 10 years.
The wealthiest men in England and the US at age 50 could expect to live until the age of 81 in good health, compared with around 72 to 73 for those in the poorest group.
Meanwhile, the richest women lived until the age of 83 in good health compared with 74 to 75 for the poorest.
Lead author Dr Paola Zaninotto, of wealth and
University College London, said: “While life expectancy is a useful indicator of health, the quality of life as we get older is also crucial. By measuring healthy life expectancy we can get an estimate of the number of years of life spent in favourable states of health or without disability.
“Our study makes a unique contribution to understanding the levels of inequalities in health expectancies between England and the US where healthcare systems are very different.”
Data was sourced from the English
JENNIFER Lopez is perhaps ringing her agent after being snubbed by the Oscars for her role in Hustlers.
She struck the pose as she joined actors Eddie Murphy and Renee Zellweger in a photo shoot for Vanity Fair’s annual Hollywood issue.
They are among 20 other stars discussing their career paths in the magazine’s “road trip” themed edition.
After three years comedian Eddie, 58, made a comeback last year in new film Dolemite Is My Name – although he too has been overlooked by the Academy. He said: “I just want to do stuff where there’s an emotional hook, and it’s something I’m really into.”
However Renee, 50, has good reason to look smug as she has landed her first Oscar nomination in 16 years and been put forward for a Bafta for playing silver screen legend Judy Garland.
Longitudinal Study of Ageing and the US Health and Retirement Study.
There were no major differences between the UK and the US when it came to life expectancy.
Dr Zaninotto added: “We know that improving both the quality and the quantity of years that individuals are expected to live has implications for public expenditure on health, income, long-term care of older people and work participation.”
The findings were published in the Journal of Gerontology.