Healthy centenarians do not exist, but autonomous centenarians do: A population-based study of morbidity among Danish centenarians

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of common illnesses in an unselected po pulation of centenarians. DESIGN: A population-based survey. SETTING: Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: All Danes who celebrated their 100th anniversary between Apri l 1, 1995 and May 31, 1996: 276 persons. MEASUREMENTS: All participants (including proxies) were visited at their do micile for an interview (sociodemographic characteristics, activities of da ily living, living conditions, need of assistance from other people, former health and current diseases, current medication) and a clinical examinatio n (dementia screening test, heart and lung auscultation, neurological asses sment, height and weight, electrocardiogram, arm and ankle blood pressure, assessment of hearing and vision capacity, a short physical performance tes t, bio-impedance, lung function test, blood test). Further health informati on was retrieved from medical files and national health registers. RESULTS: Seventy-five percent (207) of eligible subjects participated in th e study. Cardiovascular disease was present in 149 (72%) subjects. Osteoart hritis (major joints) was present in 54%, hypertension (greater than or equ al to 140/greater than or equal to 90) in 52%, dementia in 51%, and ischemi c heart disease in 28%. The mean number of illness was 4.3 (standard deviat ion (SD) 1.86). Only one subject was identified as being free from any chro nic condition or illness. Sixty percent had been treated for illness with h igh mortality. In 25 autonomous (nondemented, functioning well physically, living at home) and 182 nonautonomous centenarians, comorbidities were equi valent. CONCLUSION: Because they have a high prevalence of several common diseases and chronic conditions, Danish centenarians are not healthy. However, a min or proportion was identified as being cognitively intact and functioning we ll.