Effect of successful aging on mortality in older individuals: The PALA study

The definition of successful aging and identification of predictors have been extensively reviewed, less attention however, has been given to the role of this condition on mortality.

To evaluate the effect of aging status (normal or successful) on mortality in a South Brazilian population-based cohort, adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical variables, and to report the mortality rate and causes of death in this population.

The baseline sample comprised 345 community-dwelling, independent and healthy Southern Brazilian older individuals who were followed for 12 years. Clinical, socio-demographic, functional and cognitive variables were assessed at baseline and during the follow-up. At baseline, 214 participants fulfilled criteria for successful aging, and 131 for normal aging. The main outcome was death.

The Cox regression model showed an increased risk for mortality in subjects with normal aging (HR=1.9; p=0.003) adjusted by age (HR=1.1; p<0.001) and by sex (HR=1.9; p=0.002). The overall mortality rate was 41% and the rate was significantly lower among successful than normal agers (p=0.001). The main causes of death were cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Our main finding was an increased risk of mortality among normal in comparison with successful aging subjects, emphasizing the impact of the heterogeneity of the healthy aging process on mortality.