Get a grip on life
Being married and having a strong grip can give men aged in their mid-50s a better chance of surviving into their 80s.
A 40 year study involved 6,000 healthy Japanese Americans who were aged around 54 at the start. The researchers defined exceptional survivors as those who reached the age of 85 in a reasonably healthy state.
The things that made exceptional survivors stand out at 55, were being lean, having lower than average blood pressure, less likely to have ever smoked or drunk too much alcohol, having lower blood sugar and triglyceride levels, having a stronger grip strength which could mean better fitness and more of a physical reserve and higher levels of education. Being married made a difference to overall survival.
A man who fitted this bill at age 55 had a 40% chance of getting to 85 in good shape. If he didn’t match any of these categories in middle age, his chances were less than one percent.