Shirley Collie | Chief Research Actuary | Discovery Health | mail me |
Our Research Intelligence team has released the findings of an inspiring study into the 90 centenarians (people aged 100 years old and older). This remarkable group of 90 individuals stand out among our 2.7 million of our members.
Our study – which runs to the end of April 2023 – reveals a range of dynamics that challenge stereotypes around ageing and inspire a positive narrative around the potential for living a fulfilling life, well into the triple digits. At 105 years old, two of our centenarian members are semi-supercentenarians.
There has been a steady increase in the number and proportion of scheme members reaching and exceeding the age of 100 over the past 15 years, congruent with the global trend of people living longer:
- 2008 – 9 members or 0.0005% of the member base, representing almost 5 centenarians per million members
- 2018 – 54 members, 0.0019%, representing almost 20 centenarians per million members
- 2023 – 90 members, 0.0032%, representing 32 centenarians per million members.
Improvements in life expectancy
Over the past century we have seen improvements in life expectancy, on a global scale. According to the World Health Organisation, by 2050, the world’s population of people aged 60 years and older will double to 2.1 billion people. At present, there are around 600,000 centenarians across the world (in a global population of around 8 billion).
Unfortunately, there has not been a concomitant increase in people spending a higher proportion of those extra years of life in good health.
For example, a recent McKinsey Health Institute paper, shares that while global life expectancy has more than doubled (from 30 to 73 years) from 1800 to 2017, the amount of time that people spend living in poor health has stayed constant at around 50% of their lives. The rising tide in the prevalence of chronic conditions across the world may worsen this situation in time.
With this in mind, it is incredible to observe how healthy the 90 centenarian members are. We are very proud to look after their healthcare and to reflect on the potential for healthy ageing that they embody.
Chronic illnesses
Centenarians experience chronic conditions at a rate on par with younger scheme members. Among the 90 centenarian members, 78 are female. Whilst this demonstrates clearly that females tend to outlive males, it is important to note that the 12 males in the group are healthier than the females, experiencing fewer chronic illnesses on average, and fewer types of disease too.
In respect of chronic illnesses among the majority of members (data from 1 May 2022 to 30 April 2023):
- 9 had no chronic illness
- 27 had 1 chronic illness
- 24 had two chronic illness
- 8 members had three chronic illnesses
- 14 members had 4 chronic illnesses.
It’s remarkable that these members’ data are aligned to that of much younger medical scheme members. The average number of chronic conditions in the centenarian group is 2.44 which is on par with the average number of chronic conditions (2.45) seen in members aged 60 to 64 years old.
What sort of chronic illnesses affect centenarian members, and are males and females affected differently? The four most prevalent conditions among the 90 centenarians were hypertension (61 members), followed by hyperlipidemia (24), congestive heart failure (16) and hypothyroidism (16).
These conditions are prevalent in females and males as follows:
- Hypertension – 60% of females and 57% of males, the most common condition in both sexes.
- Hyperlipidemia – 29% of males and 22% of females, the second-most common condition in both sexes.
- Chronic ischaemic heart disease – 15% of females and 14% of males.
- Atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter – 15% of females and 7% of males.
- Glaucoma – 7% of males and 7% of females.
These conditions only affect female members: Congestive heart failure (18%), hypothyroidism (18%), osteoporosis (7%), cardiac arrythmias (4%), type 2 diabetes (3%).
The finding that females make up the majority of the centenarian cohort, but that the male members in the group are healthier than the females, is not unprecedented. Studies into the so-called ‘gender gap in life expectancy’ identify that a range of factors – from biological to cultural, behavioural, and genetic differences – may account for these trends.
How frequently are centenarian members admitted?
Just over one quarter (22) of the 90 centenarian members went to hospital between 1 May 2022 and 30 April 2023. The majority of admissions (5 of 22) were for cellulitis, a relatively common bacterial skin infection that is easily treated.
Three centenarians needed surgery, including cardiac and joint procedures. Also, one centenarian was admitted twice for cardiac valve-related procedures.
There is very low incidence of surgery among the centenarian members. According to the US Government’s National Cancer Institute around 39.5% of males and females will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetimes (based on 2015-2017 data). Defying relative population-based odds, only 4 of the 90 centenarians were found to have been diagnosed with cancer. These were diagnosed between 4 and 16 years ago – so all four are cancer survivors.
How did the centenarian members fare through COVID-19?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, four centenarian members (4.4% of the group) were admitted to hospital to treat severe COVID-19 disease. This admission rate is the same as for younger scheme members – those aged 60 to 64 years old.
All four of the centenarians admitted, survived. Additionally, 78% of this group have been vaccinated for COVID-19, most with two or three vaccines. Centenarians are without question at high-risk for serious COVID-19 related illness. Whether related to the protective effects of vaccination or to their overall robust physical state, they certainly defied the odds on this front too.
What do they have to say about living a long and healthy life?
It was an absolute privilege for us to sit with and interview three of our inspiring centenarian medical scheme members – Ida Harman, Albert Denman and Noni Makhetha – and to capture some of their life experience and wisdom.
- Albert Denman is 103 years old. The former aircraft engineer who only retired at 88 years old, builds flying model aeroplanes. “It’s a great hobby. It’s constructive and technical with quite a bit of woodwork,” he says.
- Ida Harman is 101. She loves reading so much that she set up and ran a library for residents at a retirement lodge where she lived. “I ran it for a couple of years. It was lovely,” she says.
- And, 100-year-old Noni Makhetha, has lived a life that’s kept her physically active and financially savvy – ways of life she’s passed on to her family, who view her as their matriarch.
- Watch our inspiring video interviews with each of these centenarians:
This analysis gives us all a chance to reflect on the fact that living a long and healthy life comes down to the sum of the habits we practice each day – along with a bit of help from good genetics. Reaching 100 years of age and over is indeed cause for celebration, not only for the individual but for their community and society at large. Our research adds to global evidence around centenarians and the positive influence that these people have on changing societal perceptions of ageing.