The 90+ Study

Claudia Kawas, MD and Maria Corrada, ScD  are the principle investigators for the 90+ study. This research project from the University of California at Irvine started in 2003 to determine factors associated with longevity, to investigate dementia and ways to prevent it, and to find out how people can prevent memory loss and disability in this age group. Some of the major findings from this project are:

• People who drank moderate amounts of alcohol or coffee lived longer than those who abstained. 
• People who were overweight in their 70s lived longer than normal or underweight people did. 
• Over 40% of people aged 90 and older suffer from dementia while almost 80% are disabled. Both are more common in women than men. 

You can read more about the study here. Here is a link to a "60 Minutes" television segment about this study: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/living-to-90-and-beyond-part-one