title: Becoming centenarians: disease and functioning trajectories of older US Adults as they survive to 100.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the health and functioning of individuals who become centenarians in the years prior to reaching age 100. We examined long-term trajectories of disease, disability, and cognitive function in a sample of U.S. centenarians to determine how their aging experience differs from their nonsurviving cohort counterparts, and if there is heterogeneity in the aging experience of centenarians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data are from the 1993-2010 waves of the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study. Among those who had the potential to become centenarians, we identified 1,045 respondents who died before reaching age 100 and 96 who survived to their 100th birthday. Respondents, or their proxies, reported on diagnosis of six major diseases (hypertension, heart disease, lung disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes), limitations in activities of daily living, and cognitive function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As they age to 100, centenarians are generally healthier than nonsurviving members of their cohort, and a number of individuals who become centenarians reach 100 with no self-reported diseases or functional impairments. About 23% of centenarians reached age 100 with no major chronic disease and approximately the same number had no disability (18%). Over half (55%) reached 100 without cognitive impairment. Disease and functioning trajectories of centenarians differ by sex, education, and marital status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While some centenarians have poor health and functioning upon reaching age 100, others are able to achieve exceptional longevity in relatively good health and without loss of functioning. This study underscores the importance of examining variation in the growing centenarian population.
authors.affiliation: Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. ailshire@usc.edu.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ailshire
authors.affiliation: Center for Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
authors.forename: Hiram
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Beltrán-Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: Eileen M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Crimmins
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000502:physiology*; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Centenarians; Disease; Functioning.; Longevity