A research team at Johns Hopkins University has found that there is a high correlation between long life and death. “It’s a unique situation,” says team leader Dr. Stefan Walters. “You would think that people who live long lives are healthy, but these people are dying all over the place.”
Last month, Lacey Dunston, a 97-year-old woman from Sacramento, California, died in her sleep. She had no prior history of disease and was physically active, walking around the block every day. Mrs. Dunston is the latest example of what scientists are describing as an “alarming” trend of extremely old people suddenly dropping dead.
The study found that 97-year-olds are more likely to die than every other age group under age 97. It’s an alarming find because it could potentially create a disincentive for people to grow old. “Every year of life that a man lives, he increases the likelihood that he will die,” lamented 57-year-old Dr. Walters. “There’s no escaping it.”
Recently, Americans have become more conscious about the healthiness of their lifestyles. If this study is verified, however, it could mean that being healthy and living longer is only contributing to our eventual demise.
