Multidimensional Patterns of Aging in 70-Year-Olds

This article examines the predictive ability for survival of five multidimensional patterns of aging found in 335 70-year-olds from the geriatric and gerontological studies in Gothenburg, Sweden (H-70). The multidimensional patterns were identified by cluster analysis of the domains of cognitive performance, physical health, functional capacity, subjective well-being, and social contacts. Survival differences are found among the patterns and between genders within the patterns. Patterns with higher domain scores at age 70 have higher median survival rates over 20 years. Conversely, patterns with lower domain scores at age 70 have earlier mortality. However, one group, with the lowest cognitive score, has a survival pattern similar to the group with low scores in every domain, substantiating the finding that poor cognitive performance is an important single predictor of mortality. Females exhibit at least a 4-year survival advantage over males in all but one group, in which the males resemble the females in their survival.