By virtually every measure we are riving longer, healthier, and more pro-

ductive lives than any generation in history.

Every year fewer Americans in their sixties, seventies, eighties, and even

nineties are disabled or are unable to care for themselves, according to the

National Long-Term Care Surveys, a federally funded study that regularly

polls nearly 20,000 people over age 65 about their health and lifestyles.

That means more of us are enjoyin~ life--robustly facing joys and chal-

~xx%v~ e>m~y day. It means that even though we are getting older, we re

staying young in both mind and body, says John Weisburger, M.D., Ph.D.,

a 75-year-old senior member at the American Health Foundation in Val-

halla, New York. "In good part the improvement in longevity without being

ill is due to changes in lifestyle. People at any age, but especially over 60, are

making more of an effort to stay healthy."

But getting older would be even better if we could banish heart disease,

stroke, and cancer from our lives. In fact, if all major forms of heart disease

could be eliminated, the average American could add nearly a decade to his

life expectancy, according to the American Heart Association. And if all

forms of cancer were eradicated, the gain would be three years--years that

you could use to give hundreds more hugs to your grandchildren and marvel

at a thousand more sunrises.

The unfortunate truth is that these diseases disable thousands of people

over age 60 each year and are the top three killers in this age group, claiming

more than 1.1 million lives annu~ally. Nearly 87 percent of the deaths caused

by stroke and heart disease and 70 percent of deaths caused by cancer occur

after age 65, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

Overall, one in three men and one in four women will develop cancer

after age 60. For each decade after age 55, the risk of stroke doubles, and