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The exaltation of expectancy
BY JOAQUIN ORAMAS
WHEN
we consider that human beings can live to 120 years
or more, and that this is no longer a dream but a
constant subject of assiduous research, then
scientists must be on the right track.
Researchers agree that longevity depends on
exogenous and endogenous factors. Exogenous or
environmental factors of aging are society, ecology,
food and nutrition, among others¼
Endogenous factors of aging are the genetic
characteristics typical of a species. The maximum
life potential, how long a species can live, depends
on an individual’s endogenous capacity, Doctor
Enrique Vega pointed out at the event on longevity
recently held in Havana, where specialists
emphasized the growth in life expectancy.
They
accurately clarified the meaning of this concept,
which has generated some confusion. Life expectancy
was defined as the theoretical calculation of an
individual’s life span if he or she was to die
according to the mortality rate by the age of those
dying at the time of the calculation.
This
is not, as many believe, a simple average of
peoples’ life spans. Although life expectancy can be
calculated for any given age, the most commonly used
is the calculation of life expectancy at birth.
At
this event, specialists discussed individual and
collective aging as well as communities struggling
for health improvements.
Among the most important characteristics of
individual aging is the onset of old age. This event
responds to an uninterrupted and heterogeneous
process taking into account that people age in the
same way as they have lived. It is important to note
that chronological age does not equal real age since
we grow old in different ways.
It
is possible to satisfactorily confront the problems
of aging provided that we take into account factors
affecting the health of a community. In this regard,
specialists consider that health care has an impact
of 10%, biogenetic factors 20%, environment 20%, and
lifestyle and other conditions determine
approximately 50% of individual aging.
Population aging is another perspective defined as
the proportion of the elderly in a given
population. This is not the number of elderly but a
percentage.
At
the event, it was reported that in the Southern
Cuban province of Cienfuegos, there is high
percentage of elderly, primarily due to a decrease
in fertility and a reduction of early or premature
mortality.
In this province, over 44% of the population has
benefited from senior citizens circles, providing
recreational clubs for the elderly, services and
care programs, the third-age university, and work
opportunities, among other factors.
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