Mine isn't that great either, but I think there are things I could do to improve mine. At least I hope so, because I've been doing them for years!

My mom had just turned 38 when she died, but that was accidental--from breathing fumes from rug cleaning. Her mother died of a heart attack at age 46. I'll never know for sure, but I suspect maybe she had the same tendency toward high triglycerides that I have. I got mine down by giving up sweets, etc., but she loved to bake and probably ate everything that I don't. They didn't know much about things like that in those days. I think my maternal grandfather lived a reasonably long life.

My dad lived to be 90, which was wonderful. He had severe angina in his 40s, which he turned around completely with diet. His arteries didn't clog up again until he was 86, and I'm thinking that could have been prevented with one more diet tweak. He had bypass surgery then, and the doctors remarked on how healthy he was otherwise. He died of prostate cancer.

His parents were opera singers. His mother lived to 88, healthy but seriously senile for years. He said she loved butter, and added extra to her recipes. I don't know if that had anything to do with her senility, but I avoid butter (as my dad did). His father, died of a heart attack at 61.

Interesting topic.

My fathers parents' both died of heart attacks in their 40's, Dad died of liver disease at 75. My Mom is still going at age 87. She was adopted so that trail ends there. My husband's grandparents-all 4 of them-lived into their 90's, so he's got good genes in that respect. His father died at 76 of cancer and his mom had a heart attack at 82.

On my mother's side, she lived to be almost 94, a brother made it to 100 but had been senile for several years, another sister lived to 88 as did my mom's mom. Her father died young of an unknown illness. He was sick for a few years before he died in 1919.
I plan to live to be 100.

Looking back at those born in the last 160 years, most of my mother's family lives into their late 80's and a great aunt died just short of 100.
My father's family, looking at the same time line, also has a history of living into or close to their 90's although he died at 80. His grandmother, born in 1870, died at 89.

One strange fact, that my doctors are amazed about...is there is no history of cancer in my family - either mother or father's side.

That could be a reason.

Some relatives of mine lived a long time. My mother, grandfather, grandmother, and three great aunts all were over ninety when they died. One was 99. In fact, I have one great aunt still living who is 100.

But my family tree also contains many children who died in infancy, so I guess it averages out.

It's good genes. My grand parents on both sides have lived at least to the late 80s and a lot in their 90s. There were 12 children in their family and our Mom was the last to die. She was 97 and still living alone in her home. My sisters and I all look younger than we are. One sister has smoked all her adult life and just started looking her age after she was hospitalized. She had double pneumonia, withdrawal from booze and cigarettes. that has really aged her. The doctors said she was a very strong woman to have lived through it all.

I have one side of my family who was long-lived, and the other side not so much (average age of 70).

Myself, I don't necessarily want to live a long life, just a healthy one. I can't wait to go be with the Lord and am quite impatient to do so, so I have no desire to live to a ripe old age. But I do take care of my health, because I want to feel well and be productive for as long as the Lord wants me to be here. I'm just looking forward to my resurrection body that will know no pain, fatigue or illness!

My Dad died at 86 and was diagnosed with diabetes at age 76. May have had diabetes for years as he never went to a DR. until having severe stomach pain he thought, and was admitted to hospital with appendicitis at 76.

My Mother started going downhill and develped dementia and had to go in a nursing home at age of 80 and died at age of 92.

My oldest sister died at 76 with cancer, a brother died at 76, really cause unknown, and have a living brother who will be 89 next month and doing quite well. Our youngest sister is 70, has some health problems and is developmentally disabled, has seizures and is in an assisted living facility in Ca.

BTW, I misspelled the name of Jeanne Calment. She has her own Wikipedia page, & there's photos of her in her younger & later (121) years. Her parents & especially her brother were very long-lived also. She was quite "a looker" in her early & mid years.

The reason I said "people lie" was I was reading an article on longevity research being done at some California institute (maybe UCLA), and the interviewee/professor stated that some elderly who apply to the research project & claim to be 100 or over, turn out to be only around 85. I guess they just want the attention.

My father died in '68, with brain tumors...brought on by exposure to the chemical benzene. He was 64 years old. My mother died when she was almost 95. She had been in a nursing home for six and a half years due to dementia, and probably would be alive today if she had been easier to deal with and could have lived at home. The doctor told me she was the healthiest woman he had ever seen for her age. She had nothing wrong with her as far as heart problems, blood pressure, or anything like that. She died from pneumonia.

My family easily lives into their 80's. My sister and brother both died at 84. My other brother is 79 now.

My great grandmother, 7 times removed, survived being disemboweled by Indians and being scalped...lived to be 110 by some counts and to 90 by others. She went on to have 10 children after this. She died in the early 1700's. There were two books written about her, that I know of...possibly more. Almost all of her children lived into their 80's. My mother and my father both trace their ancestry to her.

Myself, I am seldom sick. I haven't had a cold in at least 15 years. I have never had the flu...have no problems with cholesterol or blood pressure or blood sugar. However, I am extremely accident prone and I have had many serious injuries. My father used to say that a horse would kill me some day. If I can get around that, I will probably live a long time.

I plan to live forever. So far, it's working.

Only paternal grandfather (100) and maternal grandmother (93) lived LONG. Grandpa was proof that the good die young. LOL He was sharp to within two months of the end. Grandmother had heart and lung problems her last 10 years.

My mother died of leukemia in her early 70's. My father of heart/kidney problems in his 80's after 10 years on dialysis. I have no full sibs, nor did my mother. (HER mother's parents and sibs ALL died of TB.)

DH's birth parents lived into their 70's -- probably would have lived longer save for their diet and the Depressiion. His four sibs (two older, two younger) are well -- eldest is 78.

I'm alive and reasonably well thanks to Advair for asthma, two hip replacements, sinus surgeries, and removal of a staghorn calculus from my kidney. Take me out of civilization...I'm an invalid or dead! My only claims to medical wellness are my phenomonal, wonderful cholesterol levels! Aren't you just SO impressed?

I don't want to out live my memory, so I don't want to live as long as my Mom. I think that is worse than dying. She had dementia, but she knew it and didn't leave her yard. At the end, she slept her life away and when she was awake she just stared at the walls.

My parents were in their 80's when they died.

I just want to be around as long my body is still in good condition and I'm still independent.

Both of my parents died fairly young. They had a 12 year age difference, but each died at 58. My father from his third heart attack, and my mother from an embolism after ruptured ulcer surgery. I am going to be really nervous when I get close to that age. :o)

My maternal grandfather lived to 95, but he was in bad health for a long time. My maternal grandmother died in her 60's, in her sleep. As for paternal grandparents, grandfather died of kidney failure in his 40's, and grandmother in her sleep in her late 70's.
My husband's parents both died in their 70's. His father was adopted, so we have no info about his paternal grandparents.

His other relatives were/are a mixed bag, but some lived into their 80's. In my family, no one appears to have had cancer, but there is heart disease and my father came down with diabetes in his early 50's. In hubby's family, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Wow, I might have to print this out to give to our family doctor, haha.

Interesting... I think a lot of it is genetics. And some attitude. All of my Grandparents lived into their 90's. My maternal Grandfather died of ephysema after smoking his whole life. He used to brag that he started smoking when he was old enough to strike a match. When he died my Grandparents were just 5 months short of celebrating their 70th anniversary. His younger sister just turned 100 on the 18th of October. Her mind is still sharp. She though we were all making too big a deal out of her birthday.
Dad and Mom just celebrated 60 years together; Dad is 93 and Mom is 84 and they're both going strong.
I'm hoping to follow in their footsteps.

Ron

There are some long lifers on my mother's side: G-grandfather lived to 98; Grandfather lived to 95; Mother lived beyond 96 and would have lived a bit longer except for a very bad spill on the concrete steps leading into her church. Mother had brothers and sisters who did not live to 60yr due to being felled by disease; two died of TB.

My dad's side was not as fortunate, however, there were a few who had staying power. My g-g-grandfather and g-grandfather died near 70 yrs of age due to falls while laboring on their farms. My dad lived to 82 and died of heart congestion complicated by emphasema. He could have lived longer but refused to go for recommended medical care. He was entitled to have treatments at the VA hospitals, but refused due to his aversion to what he had seen during WW1. Somewhere down the family chain, both my sister and I have inherited type 2 diabetes and that will probably shorten our lives. I don't expect to live to a very old age, but may beat the 78 yr average for men.

generally, both sides live to late 80's early 90's; although, it is not uncommon for someone on either side to live into their late 90's.

Most noted, my DF's uncle died at 98 after walking/hunting his way 3 miles to his daughter's for breakfast, then another four miles to his son's for lunch. then the final leg of a triangle to his house. went to sleep in his favorite chair and never woke up. Coroner's report: He died an early death due to 90 years of smoking cigars.

We have good longevity. Most of my family seems to live until the late 80's. My mom is the exception, but she died of lung cancer from smoking at 72. It was a tragedy to us, but not unexpected.