Demographics

The trend line has always been positive: as time goes forward, Americans have continued to live longer. But it seems that trend line may be plateauing…or even reversing. The main culprit? Could be obesity. Since the 1960’s, because of a combination of medications and lifestyle changes, heart disease has been…

Compared with other nations, America stands out for its religiosity- but to which religions are we devoted? Turns out, as we are aging, religious affiliations are aging as well.  According to a new study by the Pew Research Center, several Presbyterian denominations, among other religions, are seeing their average congregant…

There is clear data to show that black men and women experience health disparities in comparison to their white counterparts across the age spectrum. Now there is also strong data to show that these disparities take a real toll in old age.  In particular, older black women experience many more…

In the current political climate, there’s lots of debate about America’s place in the world.  But by one measure, there’s really no debate: The US lags well behind other industrialized nations on the measure of life expectancy. Residents of countries including Spain, Italy, Japan and the UK all live longer…

In a way unparalleled in world history, China is quickly facing up to what might be called an aging apocalypse. It’s “baby boom” generation is the world’s largest, and in just a few years, China will be faced with an enormous number of its citizens leaving the workforce while at…

Is geography destiny? Does where you live determine how healthy you are? According to the latest rankings, the healthiest seniors live in New England. Using 35 measures in a comprehensive study of senior population health, Massachusetts seniors are the healthiest in the US, with Vermont and New Hampshire following right…