According to a long-term study which was conducted over a 40 year period, among the most significant factors influencing longevity in men were a strong grip, a wife, not smoking and a good education.
Dr. Bradley J. Willcox and colleagues of the Pacific Health Research Institute and Kuakini Medical Center in Honolulu, examined potential biological, lifestyle and sociodemographic risk factors present at middle-age to identify risk factors for healthy survival.
Their study of 5,820 Japanese-American middle-aged men with an average age of 54 in Honolulu, Hawaii, came up with nine important factors which appear to provide a clue to why some men live longer than others.
It is suggested that having low blood pressure, low blood sugar levels, low levels of bad cholesterol, not drinking alcohol excessively, keeping down the weight, not smoking, having a strong grip, achieving a high level of education, and being married appear to be the keys to a healthy life during old age.
Grip strength, which can be measured by a test, is a strong indication of upper body strength.
The researchers say this is consistent with theories of aging that suggest that better-built organisms last longer and that physiological reserve is an important determinant of survival, and may also be a marker of physical fitness.
The fastest-growing age group in most industrialized countries are those who survive to 85 years or older and they are among the largest consumers of health care resources; therefore being able to identify strategies for remaining healthy, vigorous, and disability-free at older ages has become a major priority.