scholarly journals Parallel progress in perceived age and life expectancy

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich K. Steiner ◽  
Lisbeth Aagaard Larsen ◽  
Kaare Christensen

SummaryHuman life expectancy continues to rise in most populations. This rise not only leads to longer lives but is also accompanied by improved health at a given age, i.e. we see a reduction of biological age for a given chronological age in recent cohorts. Despite or even because of the diversity of biomarkers of aging, an accurate quantification of a general shift in biological age across time has been challenging. By comparing age perception of images taken in 2001 over a decade, we show that age perception changes substantially across time and parallels the progress in life expectancy. In 2012, people aged 70+ needed to look 2.3 years younger to be rated the same age as in 2002. Our results further suggest that age perception reflects the past life events better than predicts future length of life, i.e. it is written in your face how much you have aged so far, but does not predict well how fast you will age in the future. We draw this conclusion since age perception among elderly paralleled changes in life expectancy at birth but not changes in remaining life expectancies. We illustrate advantages of perceived age as a biomarker of aging and suggest that changes in age perception should be explored for younger age classes to inform on aging processes, including whether aging is delayed or slowed with increasing life expectancy.

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich K Steiner ◽  
Lisbeth A Larsen ◽  
Kaare Christensen

Abstract Background Human life expectancy continues to rise in most populations. This rise not only leads to longer lives but also is accompanied by improved health at a given age, that is, recent cohorts show a reduction of biological age for a given chronological age. Despite or even because of the diversity of biomarkers of aging, an accurate quantification of a general shift in biological age across time has been challenging. Methods Here, we compared age perception of facial images taken in 2001 over a decade and related these changes in age perception to changes in life expectancy. Results We show that age perception changes substantially across time and parallels the progress in life expectancy. In 2012, people aged more than 70 years needed to look 2.3 years younger to be rated the same age as in 2002. Conclusions Our results suggest that age perception reflects the past life events better than predicts future length of life, that is, it is written in your face how much you have aged so far. We draw this conclusion as age perception among elderly individuals paralleled changes in life expectancy at birth but not changes in remaining life expectancies. We suggest that changes in age perception should be explored for younger age classes to inform on aging processes, including whether aging is delayed or slowed with increasing life expectancy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia A. Barthold Jones ◽  
Ulrik W. Nash ◽  
Julien Vieillefont ◽  
Kaare Christensen ◽  
Dusan Misevic ◽  
...  

Abstract In many developed countries, human life expectancy has doubled over the last 180 years. Underlying this higher life expectancy is a change in how we age. Biomarkers of ageing are used to quantify changes in the aging process and to determine biological age. Perceived age is such a biomarker that correlates with biological age. Here we present a unique database rich with possibilities to study the human ageing process. Using perceived age enables us to collect large amounts of data on biological age through a citizen science project, where people upload facial pictures and guess the ages of other people at www.ageguess.org. The data on perceived age we present here span birth cohorts from the years 1877 to 2012. The database currently contains around 220,000 perceived age guesses. Almost 4500 citizen scientists from over 120 countries of origin have uploaded ~4700 facial photographs. Beyond studying the ageing process, the data present a wealth of possibilities to study how humans guess ages and who is better at guessing ages.


2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Trovato ◽  
N. M. Lalu

A number of industrialized nations have recently experienced some degrees of constriction in their long-standing sex differentials in life expectancy at birth. In this study we examine this phenomenon in the context of Canada’s regions between 1971 and 1991: Atlantic (Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island); Quebec, Ontario, and the West (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon and Northwest Territories). Decomposition analysis based on multiple decrement life tables is applied to address three questions: (1) Are there regional differentials in the degree of narrowing in the sex gap in life expectancy? (2) What is the relative contribution of major causes of death to observed sex differences in average length of life within and across regions? (3) How do the contributions of cause-of-death components vary across regions to either widen or narrow the sex gap in survival? It is shown that the magnitude of the sex gap is not uniform across the regions, though the differences are not large. The most important contributors to a narrowing of the sex gap in life expectancy are heart disease and external types of mortality (i.e., accidents, violence, and suicide), followed by lung cancer and other types of chronic conditions. In substantive terms these results indicate that over time men have been making sufficient gains in these causes of death as to narrow some of the gender gap in overall survival. Regions show similarity in these effects.


2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (9) ◽  
pp. e2019536118
Author(s):  
James W. Vaupel ◽  
Francisco Villavicencio ◽  
Marie-Pier Bergeron-Boucher

This article reviews some key strands of demographic research on past trends in human longevity and explores possible future trends in life expectancy at birth. Demographic data on age-specific mortality are used to estimate life expectancy, and validated data on exceptional life spans are used to study the maximum length of life. In the countries doing best each year, life expectancy started to increase around 1840 at a pace of almost 2.5 y per decade. This trend has continued until the present. Contrary to classical evolutionary theories of senescence and contrary to the predictions of many experts, the frontier of survival is advancing to higher ages. Furthermore, individual life spans are becoming more equal, reducing inequalities, with octogenarians and nonagenarians accounting for most deaths in countries with the highest life expectancy. If the current pace of progress in life expectancy continues, most children born this millennium will celebrate their 100th birthday. Considerable uncertainty, however, clouds forecasts: Life expectancy and maximum life span might increase very little if at all, or longevity might rise much faster than in the past. Substantial progress has been made over the past three decades in deepening understanding of how long humans have lived and how long they might live. The social, economic, health, cultural, and political consequences of further increases in longevity are so significant that the development of more powerful methods of forecasting is a priority.


Author(s):  
Akansha Singh ◽  
Laishram Ladusingh

This study aims to examine the sex differentials in life expectancy at birth and life disparity, and to estimate the age-specific contribution of the differences for India and its major states. Life dispari-ty measures the variation in the distribution of deaths, and life expectancy at birth measures the average length of life. Complete life tables generated from death rates and abridged life tables of the Sample Reg-istration System in India from 1970–1975 to 2006–2010 were used to fulfill the research goals. Stepwise replacement algorithm was used for the decomposition of sex differences in life expectancy at birth and in life disparity. The results indicate that the increase in life expectancy at birth and decline in life disparity was higher for females. The sex differential was more prominent in urban areas than in rural areas. A ma-jority of the states in India experienced changes in the direction and magnitude of sex differentials in life expectancy at birth and life disparity from 1970–1975 to 2006–2010. The sex differentials in life expec-tancy at birth and life disparity in 1970–1975 were primarily attributed to child mortality, whereas the sex differentials in recent decades were attributed to adult mortality.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 797
Author(s):  
Beatrice Arosio ◽  
Matteo Cesari

The increase in human life expectancy at birth and the rapid aging of the population represent major social phenomena of this time.[...]


F1000Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 1247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joses Muthuri Kirigia ◽  
Rose Nabi Deborah Karimi Muthuri ◽  
Lenity Honesty Kainyu Nkanata ◽  
Newton Gitonga Muthuri

Background: This study estimates the total discounted value of human lives lost (TDVHL) due to COVID-19 in France as of 14 September 2020. Methods: The human capital approach (HCA) model was used to estimate the TDVHL of the 30,916 human lives lost due to COVID-19 in France; i.e., assuming a discount rate of 3% and the national average life expectancy at birth of 83.13 years. To test the robustness of the estimated TDVHL, the model was rerun (a) using 5% and 10% discount rates, while holding the French average life expectancy constant; and (b) consecutively substituting national life expectancy with the world average life expectancy of 73.2 years and the world highest life expectancy of 88.17 years.  Results: The human lives lost had a TDVHL of Int$10,492,290,194, and an average value of Int$339,381 per human life lost. Rerun of the HCA model with 5% and 10% discount rates decreased TDVHL by Int$1,304,764,602 (12.4%) and Int$3,506,938,312 (33%), respectively. Re-calculation of the model with the world average life expectancy decreased the TDVHL by Int$7,750,187,267 (73.87%). Contrastingly, re-estimation of the model with the world’s highest life expectancy augmented TDVHL by Int$3,744,263,463 (35.7%). Conclusions: The average discounted economic value per human life lost due to COVID-19 of Int$339,381 is 8-fold the France gross domestic product per person. Such evidence constitutes an additional argument for health policy makers when making a case for increased investment to optimise France’s International Health Regulation capacities and coverage of essential health services, and safely managed water and sanitation services.


Author(s):  
Замира Сейткожоева

Аннотация: В статье обращено внимание на исключительную роль книги в жизни человека, воспитание молодежи. Книга сопровождает человека всю жизнь. Однако в последние годы замечается снижение интереса к чтению книг. Отдается предпочтение компьютеру, играм, телевизору, слушанию музыки через наушники. Во избежание деградации личности, в воспитании грамотной, гуманной, толерантной личности необходимо приучать подрастающее поколение к вдумчивому чтению книг. Значительное место в развитии личности занимает внеклассное чтение, к которому нужно прививать интерес еще во время учебы в младшем возрасте. В мире особая роль принадлежит межличностным отношениям, формированию такой личности, которая могла бы жить в согласии с носителями разных культур. Для формирования поликультурной личности важная роль принадлежит культурному наследию, основу которого составляют книги. Ключевые слова: роль книги, гуманная личность, толерантная личность, библиографические материалы, указатели библиографических данных, справочная литература, поликультурная личность, внеклассное чтение, информатизация, интерес к чтению. Аннотация: Макалада адамдын жашоосундагы жаштарды тарбиялоодогу китептин өзгөчө мааниси, ролуна өзгөчө көңүл бурулган. Бир эле мезгилде, соңку жылдарда китептерибизге болгон адамдардын кызыгууларды төмөндөп бараткандыгы байкалган.Учурда поли- же ар кандай оюндарга, телевизор көрүүгө, кулакчын аркылуу модалуу музыка угууга, артыкчылык берилип жатат. Билимдүү, гумандуу толеранттуу инсанды тарбиялап чыгууга да, анын деградацияга кабылышынан сактап калыш үчүн, өсүп келе жаткан муундарды өзүнүн айкалыштыра алуусу менен китептерди берилип жана ой жүгүртүп алууга үйрөтүү- өтө зарыл талап болуп эсептелет. Инсандын онүгүндө окуудан тышкаркы окуунун маанилүү орду бар. Мындай окууга буга кызыгуусун өркүндөтүүнун башталгыч каласстардан тарта үйрөтүү абзел. Инсандар аралык байланыштар дүйнөдө өзгөчө орун ээлейт, алар башка маданий өкүлдөрү менен макулдуктулукта жашоого даяр. Полимаданиятту инсандын калыптанышына ар маданияттын мурасы өтө чоң ролду ойнойт, анын негизин китептер түзөт. Түйүндүү сөздөр: китептин мааниси жана ролу, гумандуу инсан, толеранттуу инсан, библиографиялык материалдар, библиографиялык маалыматтарды көрсөтүү сурантыла билүү адабияты, полимаданиятуу инсан, окуудан тышкаркы окуу,маалымдуулук, окууга кызыгуу The article draws attention to the exceptional role of the book in human life, education of young people. The book accompanies a person all his life. However, in recent years, there has been a decline in interest in reading books. Preference is given to a computer, games, TV, listening to music through headphones. In order to avoid degradation of the personality, it is necessary to accustom the younger generation to thoughtful reading of books. a significant place in the development of personality takes extracurricular reading, to which you need to instill interest even while studying at a younger age. In the world a special role belongs to interpersonal relationship, the formation of such a personality, who could live in harmony with speakers of different cultures. To form a multicultural personality an important role belongs to cultural heritage, the basis of which are books Keywords: the role of the book, humane personality, tolerant personality, bibliographic materials, indexes of bibliographic data, reference literature, multicultural personality, extracurricular reading, informatization, interest in reading.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 752
Author(s):  
Andreas N. Angelakis ◽  
Heikki S. Vuorinen ◽  
Christos Nikolaidis ◽  
Petri S. Juuti ◽  
Tapio S. Katko ◽  
...  

Since ancient times, the need for healthy water has resulted in the development of various kinds of water supply systems. From early history, civilizations have developed water purification devices and treatment methods. The necessity for fresh water has influenced individual lives as well as communities and societies. During the last two hundred years, intensive and effective efforts have been made internationally for sufficient water quantity and quality. At the same time, human life expectancy has increased all over the globe at unprecedented rates. The present work represents an effort to sketch out how water purity and life expectancy have entangled, thus influencing one another. Water properties and characteristics have directly affected life quality and longevity. The dramatic increase in life expectancy has been, indisputably, affected by the improvement in water quality, but also in other concomitant factors, varying temporally and spatially in different parts of the world throughout the centuries. Water technologies and engineering have an unequivocal role on life expectancy. In some cases, they appear to have taken place earlier than the progress of modern medicine. Among these, improved sanitation, personal hygiene, progress in medicine, and better standards of economic living have played the greatest roles.


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