The Burden of Diseases on Disability-Free Life Expectancy in Later Life

Background. The consequences of diseases in later life have been judged predominantly through mortality, resulting in an emphasis on the fatal rather than the nonfatal disabling conditions. We use a longitudinal study with follow-up at 2, 6, and 10 years to assess the impact of different diseases on...

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Published in:The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2007-04, Vol.62 (4), p.408-414
Main Authors: Jagger, Carol, Matthews, Ruth, Matthews, Fiona, Robinson, Thompson, Robine, Jean-Marie, Brayne, Carol
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of Daily Living
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Arthritis - epidemiology
Arthritis - physiopathology
Cognition Disorders - epidemiology
Cognition Disorders - psychology
Cost of Illness
Diabetes Mellitus - epidemiology
Diabetes Mellitus - physiopathology
Disabled Persons - statistics & numerical data
Female
Humans
Life Expectancy
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Medical research
Mortality
Older people
Sex Distribution
Stroke - epidemiology
Stroke - physiopathology
Studies
Vision Disorders - epidemiology
Vision Disorders - physiopathology
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Summary:Background. The consequences of diseases in later life have been judged predominantly through mortality, resulting in an emphasis on the fatal rather than the nonfatal disabling conditions. We use a longitudinal study with follow-up at 2, 6, and 10 years to assess the impact of different diseases on both total life expectancy (TLE) and disability-free life expectancy (DFLE). Methods. The Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study investigators interviewed 13,004 people aged 65 years and older from five U.K. centers starting in 1991. Persons aged 75 years and older were oversampled. Disability (mild, moderate, and severe) was assessed through basic Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental ADL (IADL) scales at baseline and at follow-ups at 2, 6, and 10 years. TLE and DFLE were compared for persons with and without each of nine conditions. Results. At age 65, men had a TLE of 15.3 years of which 12.1 (79%) were free of any disability, whereas women of the same age had an average TLE of 19.4 years, 11.0 years (57%) disability-free. Men (women) aged 65 years without stroke had 4.8 (4.6) more years of TLE and 6.5 (5.8) more years DFLE. Without diabetes, men (women) lived 4.4 (5.6) years longer and had 4.1 (5.1) years disability-free. Conclusions. More disability-free years were gained than total life years in persons free of stroke, cognitive impairment, arthritis, and/or visual impairment at baseline. This finding suggests that elimination of these conditions would result in a compression of disability.
ISSN:1079-5006
1758-535X
DOI:10.1093/gerona/62.4.408