Brits heading into retirement receive major boost – as 70 has become the new 60, scientists say

It will come as a major boost to those entering into retirement – 70 has become the new 60, according to researchers.

A new study reveals significant improvements in the health of older adults in England compared to previous generations.

A team of scientists used data from the English Longitudinal Study on Ageing to see how trends have changed over time.

But rather than just focusing on health in terms of illness, they used a new approach that examined trends in people’s functioning.

This included things like their thinking and memory skills, how easily they are able to walk and move around, their eyesight and sense of smell, and their psychological capacities.

Analysis revealed that older adults today experience higher levels of physical and mental functioning than previous generations did at the same age.

For example, a 68-year-old born in 1950 had a similar capacity to a 62-year-old born a decade earlier, and those born in 1940 had better functioning than those born in 1930 or 1920.

The researchers say improvements in education, nutrition, and sanitation over the course of the twentieth century are likely to have played a key role.

Analysis revealed that older adults today experience higher levels of physical and mental functioning (file image)

Medical advances-such as joint replacements and better treatments for chronic conditions-were also likely to be contributing factors.

‘We were surprised by just how large these improvements were, particularly when comparing people born after World War Two with earlier-born groups,’ said John 

Beard, a professor of ageing at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in the United States.

‘If we had compared someone born in 1950 with someone born in 1920, we would have likely observed even greater improvements.’

The team cautioned that there is nothing to suggest these improvements will continue moving forward, and changes such as the increasing prevalence of obesity may even see these trends start to reverse.

‘It is also likely that more advantaged groups will have experienced greater gains than others,’ Dr Beard added.

‘But overall, the trends were very strong and suggest that, for many people, 70 really may be the new 60.’

The researchers say improvements in education, nutrition, and sanitation over the course of the twentieth century have played a key role (file image)

Commenting on the study Jay Olshansky, an ageing expert from the University of Illinois, said: ‘This is a powerful article.

‘It shows that intrinsic capacity-what really matters to people as they age-is inherently modifiable.

‘With this evidence, we see that medical science can enhance intrinsic capacity, providing a hopeful message for the future.’

The findings were published in the journal Nature Aging.