New Delhi, India

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Seventy is the new 60! New research has found that older people in England enjoy better health than ever. The findings, published in the journal Nature Ageing, reveal that the decline in age has slowed notably, giving hope for a healthier ageing process.

Amidst concerns over the rising rates of cancer and dementia, this study is the light at the end of the tunnel. It further shows that today's elderly population faces more intense levels of physical and mental balance than the previous generations did at the same age.

Research highlights

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According to this study, a person who is 68 years old and born in 1950 is anticipated to have the same health condition as an individual who is 62 years old a decade earlier.

John Beard, a professor of ageing at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, said, “We were surprised by just how large these improvements were, particularly when comparing people born after World War Two with earlier-born groups.”

The researchers observed data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, noting those born between 1920 and 1959, aged 65 to 104 today. They measured “cognitive, locomotor, psychological, and sensory capacities” rather than specific diseases.

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Globally shining 'through'

The health improvements are a result of education, good nutrition, better sanitation, and advancement in medical treatments like for high blood pressure and joint replacement.

At a global level, these findings resonate well. An analysis using data from the China Health and Retirement Study said, “Our research suggests there have been significant improvements in functioning in more recent cohorts of older people in both England and China.”

Professor Jay Olshansky of the University of Illinois, who wasn’t part of the study, described it as powerful. "It’s an optimistic message for the future.”

Read More: Drastic signs of ageing show up twice in a lifetime. Once around 44, and then at...

Risk warnings

Though the findings are good, Beard warned against believing that the trend will continue.

“There is nothing to say we will continue to see the same improvements moving forward,” he warned.

Factors like increasing obesity could even reverse these trends.

Watch | The Curious Case Of The Prematurely Ageing Space Heart

Optimistic conclusion

The research ends with a hopeful note.

“Increasing life expectancy is being accompanied by large increases in health expectancy among more recent cohorts. This has positive implications for all of us, both as individuals and for society more broadly.”

For many individuals, it looks like 70 no longer is about slowing down but rather enjoying life with the high-spiritedness of someone much younger.

(With inputs from agencies)