Study finds common death causes in centenarians

A person older than 100 years of age is more likely to die of an infection, such as pneumonia, than a younger elderly person, according to a U.K. study published online on 3 June in PLOS Medicine.

In an analysis of 36,000 death certificates, researchers from King's College London found that 28% of people between 100 and 155 years of age died of old age and approximately 20% from pneumonia. Cancer was the cause of death in fewer than 5% of the cases, while heart disease in fewer than 9%.

By comparison, those diseases were the most common reasons for death among the 80- to 84-year-old age group, with cancer responsible for 25% of deaths and heart disease nearly 20%.

The findings raise important questions for healthcare services, noted lead researcher Dr. Catherine Evans. Essentially, centenarians have outlived death from chronic illness, but have increasing frailty and vulnerability to pneumonia and other poor health outcomes.

She added that healthcare providers must plan for services that meet the needs of this centenarian group, who may decline rapidly if they succumb to an infection or pneumonia. For more on this topic, see a recent column from Dr. Paul McCoubrie.