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CNN   June 13, 2001 http://www.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/06/13/living.longer/index.html


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Two out of every three Americans want to live to be 100 years old and they expect science to help them achieve that goal, according to a new national survey, which also found support for expanded medical research.

The survey, sponsored by the Alliance for Aging Research, looked at the attitude Americans have toward aging with special emphasis on the baby boom generation.

It found that 62 percent of Americans expect to live to be over 80 years old and that they feel they are, in part, responsible for their own health. More than 80 percent feel that having access to the best medical treatment and being able to afford medications will help them achieve that goal.

"Results indicate that Americans believe staying healthy in old age is not just a matter of fate, but something they themselves can affect," said Daniel Perry, executive director of the alliance. "Most Americans want to hit the century mark, but don't view living longer as an end in itself. They want to live with health and vitality and benefit from the many scientific breakthroughs now on the horizon."

According to the survey, Americans think having a positive outlook, exercising regularly, eating nutritious foods and keeping stress to a minimum play an important role in staying healthy as one grows older.

The survey found most Americans feel government will play an important role by funding medical research that will lead to prevention and cures for a number of diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's and diabetes.

Funded by Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Co., the survey detailed support for new areas of research with 62 percent of those surveyed saying scientists should be able to use stem cells from early human embryos -- but not from aborted fetuses -- to help find cures for diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Fifty-four percent favor fetal-tissue research involving aborted fetuses.

That is a controversial area of research. Many conservatives object to fetal-tissue research, believing it condones -- if not encourages -- abortions.

According to the alliance, an estimated 6,000 Americans celebrate their 65th birthday each day. By the year 2030, approximately 75 million people will be 65 or older, which could drive up health care costs six-fold.

"The graying of America is certain to drive health care costs in the U.S. for at least the next 50 years," said Perry. "The challenge we face as advocates is to ensure the pace of research keeps up with the expectations of the American people, so we can ensure the miracles of science are brought to our benefit sooner rather than later."

One-thousand Americans 18 and older were surveyed in May for the study.

original press release from the Alliance web site http://www.agingresearch.org/news/061301survey.html

Nearly two out of three Americans (63 percent) want to live to be 100 years old, and expect medical science and their personal behavior can help them lead longer, healthier and more independent lives, according to a national survey released today by the not-for-profit Alliance for Aging Research. In his first official act as Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, U.S. Senator John Breaux (D-LA) joined the Alliance at a news conference in the U.S. Capitol Building to announce survey results. "Clearly Baby Boomers expect to live longer and live better than any other generation," said Senator Beaux. "From supporting improvements in medical science and aging research to funding scientific discovery, we in Congress must do all we can to prepare for the aging of the Boomer generation. This survey reveals that Boomers expect the quality of life of all Americans to improve demonstrably, and ensuring healthy aging is a crucial step in that direction."

"Americans have great expectations for staying healthy and independent well into old age," agreed Daniel Perry, executive director of the Alliance. "Most Americans want to hit the century mark, but don't view living longer as an end in itself. They want to live with health and vitality, and benefit from the many scientific breakthroughs now on the horizon."

Perry explained that Americans understand the interplay between research, access to new medicines and treatments, and lifestyle choices on improving their odds of leading more productive and independent lives. "Results indicate that Americans believe staying healthy in old age is not just a matter of fate, but something they themselves can affect," said Perry. "Baby Boomer women in particular are concerned about looming risks to age-related diseases, but feel they also have more control over their health futures than men."

Americans also believe that the U.S. needs to stave off a future health care crisis that could accompany the Senior Boom. A plurality of those polled believes there should be increased public funding of aging-related research, and a majority believes that American scientists should be free to explore new areas of medical research, including conducting embryonic stem cell and fetal tissue research to find cures for debilitating diseases like diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Results of the survey include:

• Sixty-three percent of Americans would like "to live to be 100 years old if it were possible," and 32 percent would not. Young men (ages 18 to 36) are the most interested in living longer (73 percent want to live to 100 and 23 percent do not).
• Sixty percent currently expect to live to be over 80 years old, and eight percent expect to live to be 100. Twenty percent expect a person born after the year 2010 to live to 100. (Note: The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are 68,000 people living today who are 100 or older. It predicts that number will jump to 551,000 by the year 2040.)
• Sixty-three percent agree, that "unless we find cures for major diseases affecting people in old age, the U.S. will not have enough hospitals, doctors, and equipment to care for the aging baby boom generation." A third (34 percent) disagree, and only 13 percent disagree strongly.
• Americans are highly likely to think eating nutritious foods (87 percent), having a positive outlook (90 percent), exercising regularly (86 percent), keeping stress to a minimum (80 percent), and getting routine physical exams (79 percent) are very important to staying healthy as one grows older. Fewer Americans place this same importance on "the genes you were born with" (70 percent), and fewer still on avoiding overwork (51 percent), or having good luck (29 percent). Women are more likely than men to believe individuals can have an impact on their own aging.
• The belief that individuals can take responsibility for their own health is accompanied by widespread views that having access to the best medical treatments (84 percent) and being able to afford medications (87 percent) are very important or essential to stay healthy as one ages.
• Eight in ten Americans have some degree of confidence (26 percent great deal, 53 percent some) that medical science will find cures for medical diseases during their lifetimes. Young men (aged 18 to 36) express the most confidence in medical science.
• A plurality of 44 percent favors increasing the amount of federal dollars spent each year on medical research. Another four in ten (41 percent) think we should keep federal spending on medical research at its current level, and only 9 percent favor reducing that level.
• Americans want government to encourage scientific discovery. Sixty-one percent agree that "scientists should be free to explore new areas of medical research without heavy federal regulations and limitations," while 37 percent disagree. Those who strongly agree outnumber those who disagree 31percent to 18 percent.
• Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) agree and 32 percent disagree that "scientists should be able to use stem cells obtained from very early human embryos to find cures for serious diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's." When another question asks about using "fetal tissue from abortions to find cures for serious diseases," support drops somewhat but a majority of Americans (54 percent) continue to favor giving scientists freedom to pursue their medical research.
• The most popular reasons in the survey for focusing more resources on studying how the body ages includes: "so people can stay healthy and independent as they age" (61 percent very convincing), and to find "cures for diseases that afflict people of every age" (60 percent).

According to the Alliance, every seven seconds another Baby Boomer in America turns 50, or 10,000 people per day. It also is estimated that 6,000 Americans each day celebrate their 65th birthday. In just 10 years, the first of the nation's Baby Boomers will begin to swell the Medicare rolls. By the year 2030, some 75 million people - about twice as many as today - will be at least 65 years of age. Half of that population will be 75 and older. It has been reported that health costs of the oldest and sickest of that population could increase six-fold with the pending Senior Boom.

"The graying of America is certain to drive health care costs in the U.S. for at least the next 50 years," said Perry. "The challenge we face as advocates is to ensure the pace of research keeps up with the expectations of the American people, so we can ensure the miracles of science are brought to our benefit sooner rather than later.

"The Alliance is, therefore, announcing Project Independence for an Aging America," said Perry. "This is a framework of issues in which we will work with leaders like Senator Breaux to ensure sound public policies that meet the challenges of an aging population by paving the way for breakthroughs in medicine, science and technology."

Specific tenets of Project Independence are to increase funding of NIH, expand research and medical education in geriatrics; encourage greater private-sector investments in technologies that will improve life for people as the age; and mobilize members of the baby boom generation because they have the largest stake in their healthy futures.

Belden Russonello & Stewart, a research company in Washington, D.C., conducted the national telephone survey of 1,000 adults from May 2 to May 10, 2001, using a random digit dial sample. The survey's results have an overall margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.0 percentage points.

The opinion survey was funded by an unrestricted educational grant by Eli Lilly and Company, a leading innovation-driven pharmaceutical corporation headquartered in Indianapolis, IN.

Founded in 1986, the Alliance for Aging Research is a nonprofit, independent organization dedicated to improving the health and independence of Americans as they age through public and private funding of medical research and geriatric education.