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The highly educated live longer!

The highly educated live longer!

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Strange tips for living past 100

New Jersey resident Agnes Fenton, age 110, said her secret for staying young and living long was drinking three Miller High Lifes each day along with a drink of Johnnie Walker.

See what other Americans age 100-plus say is their secret to staying young ...
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Strange tips for living past 100

New Jersey resident Agnes Fenton, age 110, said her secret for staying young and living long was drinking three Miller High Lifes each day along with a drink of Johnnie
... more
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Elizabeth Sullivan of Fort Worth said her secret to making it to 104 years old was drinking three Dr Peppers every day. Other centenarians say their secrets to living to 100+ includes cigarettes, lots of bacon and other seemingly unhealthy habits.

Photo: CBSDFW | Houston Chronicle Composite
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Eating bacon every day was mentioned by a few oldsters. If this is a secret to longevity, we plan on being here a long, long time. 
Eating bacon every day was mentioned by a few oldsters. If this is a secret to longevity, we plan on being here a long, long time. 
Photo: Jamie Grill, File / Getty
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The practice of eating raw eggs was credited with helping one woman live past 100. 
The practice of eating raw eggs was credited with helping one woman live past 100. 
Photo: Adam Gault, File / Getty
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Cigarettes seem to kill others early while on, while a select few can puff away into triple digits. 
Cigarettes seem to kill others early while on, while a select few can puff away into triple digits. 
Photo: Shui Ta Shan, File / Getty
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Relaxing exercises like fishing can de-stress, adding years to life. 
Relaxing exercises like fishing can de-stress, adding years to life. 
Photo: Stephen Schauer, File / Getty
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Simple exercise keeps a body limber while being sedentary can bring on a number of problems leading to early death. 
Simple exercise keeps a body limber while being sedentary can bring on a number of problems leading to early death. 
Photo: Bethany Clarke, File / Getty
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One older woman responded that wearing lingerie into old age can keep a woman feeling youthful and beautiful. If only we could look like this at 102. 
One older woman responded that wearing lingerie into old age can keep a woman feeling youthful and beautiful. If only we could look like this at 102. 
Photo: Rene De Haan, File / Getty
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Chocolate is a giver of life, some said. 
Chocolate is a giver of life, some said. 
Photo: Lew Robertson, File / Getty
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Plenty of coffee will keep you alert as the decades fly by. 
Plenty of coffee will keep you alert as the decades fly by. 
Photo: 747647, File / Getty
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Another centenarian said that regular BBQ sessions have kept them going. Fellow Texans, the future looks rather bright. 
Another centenarian said that regular BBQ sessions have kept them going. Fellow Texans, the future looks rather bright. 
Photo: Sean Gallup, File / Getty
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Bourbon is mentioned quite a bit among centenarians, who came up at a time when doctors also seemingly prescribed cigarettes for broken bones. 
Bourbon is mentioned quite a bit among centenarians, who came up at a time when doctors also seemingly prescribed cigarettes for broken bones. 
Photo: Tetra Images, File / Getty
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Some oldsters haven't put down their cigars. It's worked for some, after all. 
Some oldsters haven't put down their cigars. It's worked for some, after all. 
Photo: NBC, File / Getty
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Elizabeth Sullivan's Dr. Pepper plan for longevity may leave some skeptics scratching their heads. 
Elizabeth Sullivan's Dr. Pepper plan for longevity may leave some skeptics scratching their heads. 
Photo: Tom Kelley Archive, File / Getty
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One elderly man said not having kids cut down on stress. 
One elderly man said not having kids cut down on stress. 
Photo: Image Source, File / Getty
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Lots and lots of sleep is a common thread when it comes to centenarians. 
Lots and lots of sleep is a common thread when it comes to centenarians. 
Photo: George Marks, File / Getty
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A Japanese woman credited sushi as her secret to longevity. Sake probably helps too. 
A Japanese woman credited sushi as her secret to longevity. Sake probably helps too. 
Photo: Yuji Kotani, File / Getty
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Religion was mentioned quite a bit, with staying on the straight and narrow a common trait. 
Religion was mentioned quite a bit, with staying on the straight and narrow a common trait. 
Photo: Cooper Neill, Getty Images
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Staying reasonably stress-free seems to work. That means us journalists might not be long for this world, sadly. 
Staying reasonably stress-free seems to work. That means us journalists might not be long for this world, sadly. 
Photo: Gruizza, File / Getty
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Water, and plenty of it preserving the body. 
Water, and plenty of it preserving the body. 
Photo: Ian Waldie, File / Getty
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Following the Ten Commandments, or at least the Golden Rule, was something that many centenarians say helped them make it to 100. 
Following the Ten Commandments, or at least the Golden Rule, was something that many centenarians say helped them make it to 100. 
Photo: Gene Lester, Contributor
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Of course loving others and being loved can also keep you thriving, as many centenarians agreed. 
Of course loving others and being loved can also keep you thriving, as many centenarians agreed. 
Photo: Eric Raptosh, Getty Images/Blend Images RM
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Researchers have found that 'highly educated' people live much longer than everyone else, across the globe. Not a surprising finding, if you think education is primarily an indicator of income, social class and/or living in a place with a good health care system.

But the study's lead research scientist from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Domantas Jasilionis, said in a email exchange that there's more to it:

Yes, money matters, but this is only a part of the explanation. Higher education is related to higher incomes, better access to health care, and better health insurance (in some countries). They are the first having access to the most advanced treatments and medicines, especially related to cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and old age related mental diseases. Highly educated are the first benefiting from so called "cardiovascular revolution".

But they have other important benefits, which are not directly related to money. They have better knowledge and skills how to conduct their lives (especially how to cope in stressful situations), they feel more responsible for their health, and know better how to cope with/prevent health problems. They have better knowledge and (often) financial resources allowing to choose healthier life styles.

The study "Longevity and Education: A Demographic Perspective" published recently in the journal "Gerontology" points out that while life expectancy has risen on average by three months a year, most of that progress has gone to the highly educated. And those gains are primarily occurring late in life: Older folks are living better and longer.

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"Mortality among older people has been declining since the 1960s and the 1970s, largely because of improvements in the treatment of heart and circulatory diseases that are collectively referred to as the "cardiovascular revolution." When we look at the contributions of the age groups to these educational group differences, it is clear that the highly educated benefited from this revolution the most," the researchers stated in a news release.

The researchers added that if a country wants a longer-lived and healthier population as a workforce and founts of wisdom — especially as we are entering a world of more old people than young in most industrialized countries — it should heed this study and improve access to education.

The researchers also found an interesting oddity in the lives of Americans:

"While the overall situation in the U.S. is similar to that of western and northern Europe, it is notable that in the U.S. life expectancy among women varied considerably by social class in the 1980s and the 1990s. Indeed, a number of studies found that the average life expectancy actually declined among the least educated non-Hispanic white women."

Hmmmm.

 

Jake Ellison can be reached at 206-448-8334 or jakeellison@seattlepi.com. Follow Jake on Twitter at twitter.com/Jake_News. Also, swing by and *LIKE* his page on Facebook. If Google Plus is your thing, check out our science coverage here.