Secrets to Graceful Aging: Researchers Uncover Factors Linked to Optimal Aging

The findings underscore the importance of a strengths rather than deficits-based approach to aging and older people.

What are the keys to “successful” or optimal ageing? A new study followed more than 7,000 middle-aged and older Canadians for about three years to identify factors related to well-being as you age.

They found that women who were married, physically active and not obese and those who had never smoked, had higher incomes and who did not suffer from insomnia, heart disease or arthritis, were more likely to maintain excellent health throughout the study period. and less likely to develop disabling cognitive, physical or emotional problems.

As a baseline, the researchers selected participants who were in excellent health at the start of the approximately three-year study period. This included the absence of memory problems or disabling chronic pain, the absence of any serious mental illness, and the absence of physical disabilities that limit daily activities – as well as the presence of adequate social support and high levels happiness and satisfaction in life.

“We were surprised and delighted to learn that more than 70% of our sample maintained excellent health throughout the study period,” says first author Mabel Ho, PhD candidate at the Faculty of Factor-Inwentash Social Sciences from the University of Toronto. Work (FIFSW) and the Institute of Life Course and Aging. “Our findings underscore the importance of a strengths-based rather than a deficits-based approach to aging and older people. The media and research tend to ignore the positive and focus only on the problems.

There was considerable variation in the prevalence of successful aging depending on the respondents’ age at the start of the study. Three-quarters of respondents aged 55 to 64 at the start of the study period maintained excellent health throughout the study. Among people aged 80 and over, about half have remained in excellent health.

“It is remarkable that half of those aged 80 and over maintained this extremely high bar of cognitive, physical and emotional well-being over the three years of the study. This is great news for older people and their families who can anticipate that a precipitous decline is inevitable for people aged 80 and over,” says Mabel Ho. “By understanding the factors associated with successful aging, we we can work with seniors, families, practitioners, policy makers and researchers to create an environment that supports a vibrant and healthy future life.”

Obese older people were less likely to stay healthy later in life. Compared to obese older adults, those who were of normal weight were 24% more likely to age optimally.

“Our results are in line with other studies which have shown that obesity is linked to a range of physical symptoms and cognitive problems and that physical activity also plays a key role in optimal aging,” says the co- Author David Burnes, Associate Professor at FIFSW at the University of Toronto and Canada Research Chair in Elder Abuse Prevention. “These findings underscore the importance of maintaining an appropriate weight and engaging in an active lifestyle throughout life.”

Income was also an important factor. Only about half of those living below the poverty line age optimally compared to three-quarters of those living above the poverty line.

“Although our study does not provide insight into why low income is important, it is possible that insufficient income causes stress and also limits healthy choices such as optimal nutrition. Future research is needed to further explore this relationship,” says lead author Esme Fuller-Thomson, director of the Institute for Life Course & Aging and professor in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto.

Lifestyle factors are associated with optimal health later in life. Seniors who never smoked were 46% more likely to maintain excellent health than current smokers. Previous studies have shown that quitting smoking later in life can improve survival statistics, lung function and quality of life; reduce coronary event rates and reduce respiratory symptoms. The study found that former smokers did just as well as those who had never smoked, emphasizing that it is never too late to quit.

The study also found that physical activity was important for maintaining good health later in life. Seniors who engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were 35% and 45% more likely to age well, respectively.

The results indicated that respondents who never or rarely experienced sleep problems at baseline were 29% more likely to maintain excellent health throughout the study.

“Obviously, good sleep is an important factor as we age. Sleep problems affect cognitive, mental and physical health. There is strong evidence that an intervention called cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is very helpful for people with insomnia,” says Esme Fuller-Thomson.

The study was recently published online, in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. It uses longitudinal data from the baseline (2011-2015) and first follow-up wave (2015-2018) of data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) to examine factors associated with optimal aging of first two waves. In the CLSA, 7,651 respondents aged 60 or older at wave 2 were in optimal health at the baseline wave of data collection. The sample was limited to those who were in excellent health at the start, only 45% of the respondents.

Reference: “Aging successfully among immigrant and Canadian-born seniors: results from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)” by Mabel Ho, Eleanor Pullenayegum, David Burnes, and Esme Fuller-Thomson, October 13, 2022, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013199