Clinical and laboratory characteristics of active and healthy aging (AHA) in octogenarian men.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate clinical and laboratory variables associated with good subjective and objective health ("active and healthy aging", AHA) in a cohort of octogenarian men.


METHODS
Cross-sectional analyses of a longitudinal study.


METHODS
The Helsinki Businessmen Study in Finland.


METHODS
A socioeconomically homogenous cohort of men (baseline n = 3293), born in 1919-1934, has been followed up from the 1960s. From 2000, the men have been regularly sent mailed questionnaires and mortality has been retrieved from national registers.


METHODS
In 2010 survey, AHA was defined as independently responding to the mailed survey, feeling happy without cognitive or functional impairments and without major diseases. In 2010/11, a random subgroup men was clinically investigated and survivors with healthy and nonhealthy aging were compared.


RESULTS
By 2010, 1788 men of the baseline cohort had died, and 894 men responded to the mailed survey. 154 (17.2 %) of those fulfilled the present AHA criteria. Increasing number of criteria were negatively (P < 0.001) related to short-term mortality. In 2011, a random sample of 458 men were clinically investigated, 90 of them with AHA. Men with AHA had higher serum LDL cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure (partially explained by less frequent drug use) but no significant difference was observed in other risk factors. Men with AHA had significantly faster walking speed (P < 0.001), stronger handgrip (P = 0.017), better self-rated health and less phenotypic frailty (P = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
Less than 5 % enjoyed active and healthy aging over their life course, which was significantly related to markers of frailty but not to the traditional vascular risk factors.
Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, P. O. Box 340, 00029 HUCH, Helsinki, Finland. kirsi.rantanen@hus.fi.
Kirsi K
KK
Rantanen
Department of Medicine, Geriatric Clinic, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|Unit of General Practice, Institute of Health Sciences, University of Oulu, and University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
Timo E
TE
Strandberg
National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Turku, Finland.|National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.|Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Sari S
SS
Stenholm
Department of Medicine, Geriatric Clinic, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Arto Y
AY
Strandberg
Unit of General Practice, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Kaisu H
KH
Pitkälä
National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Turku, Finland.|National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.
Veikko V
VV
Salomaa
Department of Medicine, Geriatric clinic, Helsinki Central University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Reijo S
RS
Tilvis
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D018737:Hand Strength; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D008078:Cholesterol, LDL
Active and healthy aging; Compression of morbidity; Frailty; Longevity; Successful aging