Lecture 21 - Ageing Flashcards
As of 19 March 2020, who are the oldest living britons and when were they born
Robert Weighton and Joan Hocquard, both born on 29 March 1908.
( just under 102 years old )
Who is the oldest known living man in the world
Robert Weighton
What did Bob Weighton do
- Joined City, University of London as part of the Engineering department in 1947, where he worked as a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering until 1973.
- He recalled lecturing the students as being his fondest memory of the University
Which gender tends to live longer and by how man years
Women tend to outlive men by about 5 years
Who is the worlds oldest living person alive at the moment AND when was she born
Kane Tanaka
Born 2nd January, 1903
Facts about Kane Tanaka - oldest living person
- Japanese
- She is still in good health and occupies her time by playing board games, and doing calligraphy and calculations.
- She credits family, sleep and hope as her secrets for longevity.
- She likes sweets and drinks three cans of canned coffee and various sodas every day
Who is the oldest (authenticated) person ever and when she was born/died
Jeanne Calment
Born - 21/02/1875
Died - 04/08/1997
Facts about Jeanne Calment
- Met Vincent van Gogh - at 13 years in her uncles fabric shop where he wanted to buy canvas and described him as a mean guy
- Saw Eeifel tower being built in late 1880s
Has there always been old people and if so how do we know
YES - OLD AGE IS NOT A NEW PHENOMENON
Genesis 16:16 And Abram was fourscore and six years old (i.e.86), when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
Exodus 7:7 And Moses was fourscore years old (80), and Aaron fourscore and three years old (83), when they spake unto Pharaoh.
What does fourscore years old mean
Bible talks about people being fourscore years old
Score = 20 so they would be 80 ( 4 x score (20) )
e.g. if “ fourscore and six years old” = 86
FOURSCORE = 80
In the past when did most people die
- At younger age:
- Although a few individuals in Palaeolithic times ( more than 2 million years old )may have survived beyond 60, due to disease, high infant mortality rate, predators and accidents, the majority of people will have died long before this, possibly most not living much beyond 30-40
- Victorian ( London, 115 years ago ) middle class men might live, on average, to 45. The average lives of workmen and labourers spanned just half that time. Children were lucky to survive their fifth birthdays.
What has happened to average life expectancy over the last hundred years and why
Increased ( with 2 obvious periods of decline)
Due to advances in sanitation and medicine
What % of girls born in 1951 and predicted to live up to over 100
13.5%
What % of girls born in 2060 are expected to reach 100
58.8%
What is the evidence to limited human lifespan ( how old humans can get )
“Driven by technological progress, human life expectancy has increased
greatly since the nineteenth century. Demographic evidence has revealed
an ongoing reduction in old-age mortality and a rise of the maximum age at death, which may gradually
extend human longevity…… Here, by analysing global demographic data, we show that improvements in survival with age tend to decline after age 100, and that the age at death of the world’s oldest person has not increased since the 1990s. Our results strongly suggest that the maximum lifespan of humans is fixed and subject to natural constraints.”
What is the average life expectancy worldwide
- 2 years
69. 5 for women, 65.0 for men
Why do women (on average) live longer than men?
- Delayed onset ( protected against) of cardiovascular disease in women (possibly due to high oestrogen levels).
- Women have lower iron levels than men (due to menstruation) – iron is involved in the formation of damaging free radicals so women have less damaging free radicals. Free radicals play havoc with cells
- Young men engage in risky behaviour e.g. fast driving, drinking, fights. On average, young men die younger due to TESTOSTERONE RUSH
- 2 X chromosomes makes it less likely that some deleterious mutations on the X chromosome are expressed ( males have 1 X chromosome ). If X chromosome carries recessive gene for disease, other allele on X chromosome in female would compensate for this. However, males only have 1 chromosome.
What is biggest killer in western world
Cardiovascular disease - affects more men than women
Which country has highest life expectancy
Japan - 82.6
What is life expectancy of UK
79.01
doesnt appear in top 10
Which country has lowest life expectancy and why
Swaziland - 39.6 ( 40% below world average )
Lowest = africa
Due to disease - aids, war, high infant mortality rate = decreases life expectancy
What is happening to age of population in Britain
Getting older
- The mortality rate for those over 75 years old in the UK has fallen sharply from 137 deaths per thousand per year in 1911-1915 to 83 deaths per thousand in 2006-2007.
- The number of people aged 80 or over has increased from 1.6 million in 1981 to 2.8 million in 2007
- Over the last 25 years the percentage of the population aged 65 and over increased from 15 per cent in 1983 to 16 per cent in 2008, By 2033, it is estimated that 23 per cent of the population will be aged 65 and over.
= ELDERLY IS FASTEST GROWING AGE GROUP IN THE UK
When do most diseases become more prevalent
As you age
Over 70 = number of sick people increase in upcoming years as population ages
What are the top 10 killers in western world
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Stroke
- Chronic lower respiratory disease
- Accidents ( dont become more prevalent as you age )
- Diabetes
- Alzheimers disease
- Influenza and pneumonia
- Kidney disease
- Septicemia
What is Cataract, Age-Related Macular Degeneration and glaucoma more common in
Older population
Vision changes with age
What is disadvantage of people living longer
More old people = more sick people around world = more strain on healthcare system
