Comprehensive health status assessment of centenarians: results from the 1999 large health survey of veteran enrollees.
BACKGROUND
Information on the health status of centenarians provides a means for understanding the health care needs of this growing population. Therefore, we examined the health status of a national cohort of centenarian veteran enrollees.


METHODS
Ninety-three centenarian veteran enrollees returned a complete health history questionnaire, which included questions about sociodemographic information, age-associated conditions, health behaviors, health-related quality of life as measured by the Veterans SF-36, and change in health status.


RESULTS
Centenarian veteran enrollees are a group with major impairment across multiple dimensions of health-related quality of life despite having a relatively low prevalence of diseases. They had considerable physical limitations as reflected by their physical health summary scores (26.2 +/- 8.3). However, their mental health was comparatively good (mental health summary score 44.1 +/- 12.5). Compared to younger elderly veterans (ages 85-99), centenarians had a lower prevalence of hypertension, angina or myocardial infarction, diabetes, and chronic low back pain (p <.05). Centenarians had significantly worse physical functioning, role physical, vitality, and social functioning scores than did younger elderly veterans. The two groups did not differ in their general health, bodily pain, role emotional, and mental health scores. Centenarians did not perceive much decline in their physical or mental health during the preceding year.


CONCLUSIONS
Centenarian veteran enrollees are a group with a low number of age-associated diseases and good mental health despite substantial physical limitations. These results support future studies of services directed toward improvement of function as opposed to those focused solely on the treatment of diseases.
Selim
Alfredo J
AJ
Center for Health Quality, Outcomes & Economic Research, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bedford, MA, USA. selim.alfredo_j@boston.med.va.gov
Fincke
Graeme
G
Berlowitz
Dan R
DR
Miller
Donald R
DR
Qian
Shirley X
SX
Lee
Austin
A
Cong
Zhongxiao
Z
Rogers
William
W
Selim
Bernardo J
BJ
Ren
Xinhua S
XS
Spiro
Avron
A
Kazis
Lewis E
LE
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000502:physiology*; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000453:epidemiology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012919:Social Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans