100-year-olds defying ailments as they age

Centenarians are likely to be in better shape in their final years than those 20 years younger, according to research.

They suffer less pain and illness than those in their eighties and nineties, a study of 1,400 people found, with those who were 100 or older when they died having an average of 3.3 ailments, compared to 4.6 in the younger age groups.

The study was published in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.