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If someone in your family has died in their 40's - 50's your chances of living over 50 really go down in my opinion, sometimes it just runs in the family.
a person's body weight and height also play a large part in life expectancy, it's very common for big & tall people to die in their 50's, there are a few big & tall people that make it past 65, but most never make it, unless they are lucky.
I knew a WW2 decorated vet that lived to age 98 , he was a life long smoker and outdoorsman, I think genetics was the main reason he live so long? he wasnt very tall, maybe around 5 ft 7' or shorter and of asian heritage.
if your in your 50's if you were to check your high school graduation class, Im sure there are several that have died by now, either by accident or health problems.
something I noticed about people that have died early, is most had some type of health problem when they were young? got ill often, had allergies, had asthma, or something , allergic to certain types of foods, etc. those people seemed to all die earlier than average.
I've heard that about tall people. Doesn't bode well for me. On the other hand, my 5'11" mother is 86 and her 6'7" brother is 75. Their 5'8" mother died at 94, and their 6'2" uncle is still living (as is his short wife). They just had their 71st wedding anniversary. Ya never know.
There are a few folks from my graduating class (or within a couple years of it) who are dead.
Some had cancer. Of those, most (not all) were smokers. One was prostate cancer that was discovered because the guy denied anything was wrong even when he was showing symptoms - by the time he got to the doctor, he was already dying, and they couldn't do anything about it.
One was murdered.
One died in pregnancy.
A few were killed in gang-related acts of violence - most were not involved in the gangs themselves, but were there when the violence was happening and cot caught in the crossfire.
One was born with a hole in his heart and died much younger than any of the rest of them. We used to refer to him as BlueBoy but it was more a term of affection because everyone really liked the guy. His skin had a bluish tint to it due to the heart defect.
Several were killed in car accidents or due to other accident-related injuries.
One burned to death.
I think it's more a matter of "many people in my graduating class either did a lot of really stupid things, or were present when -other- people were doing a lot of really stupid things and didn't have the smarts to remove themselves from those situations before they could get killed."
Elanor Mondale and Kara Kennedy both just died at age 51. While I was in my 50s, eight coworkers died, most of heart attacks, and all were in their early to late 50s. I decided that the best guarantee of a long life was to survive your 50s so my 60th birthday was cause for celebration and relief. So far, so good!
Anyone else ever notice this trend which most of us, thus far, have been able to avoid or live beyond. I have my theory as to why the 50s are so "dangerous," other than it being a corporate plot to avoid pension payments. What are yours, if any?
I think that depends to some degree on how you lived your life...exercised, ate right, didn't smoke & was blessed to avoid any serious or congenital health problems...& to not die from effects of those things KNOWN to be main factors involved as too causation or links to causation. Most people i knew who died before or by their 50's, they were life-long drinkers, smokers, obese, or other physical excess involved, lack of exercise, eating high cholesterol, but moreso glycerides. just some of my thoughs on it.
My 50s was the best decade of my life. I retired at 52, was healthy and vigorous, I met my new wife, we traveled around the world and to 34 countries, lived in five of them.
Elanor Mondale and Kara Kennedy both just died at age 51. While I was in my 50s, eight coworkers died, most of heart attacks, and all were in their early to late 50s. I decided that the best guarantee of a long life was to survive your 50s so my 60th birthday was cause for celebration and relief. So far, so good!
Anyone else ever notice this trend which most of us, thus far, have been able to avoid or live beyond. I have my theory as to why the 50s are so "dangerous," other than it being a corporate plot to avoid pension payments. What are yours, if any?
How many of those deaths were from degenerative diseases resulting from poor lifestyle/dietary choices -- the effects of which take decades to take root? Food for thought. My take is that, sure, some things happen to a person regardless of how well that person takes care of him or herself; but many things, perhaps a large percentage, are the result of the cumulative abuse and/or neglect of the human body over many years and/or decades. So, maybe by the time a person reaches his/her 50s, many of the more common diseases and conditions have had sufficient time to germinate and flourish. A 20 or 30 or even 40 year old has not been alive long enough to accumulate the damage that an older person has. Genetics, of course, play a huge role, so some things will likely just happen because it's in the genetic cards for that particular person. But many genetic predispositions can be helped along by dietary/lifestyle choices.
And considering how poorly many people care for their bodies, it's amazing that so many people actually remain functional and healthy well into older age.
I didn't read this entire thread, but I've often thought of the 50s as a time when many men begin dropping dead from heart attacks. Did you know that one of the "symptoms" of heart disease is sudden death?!
Obviously these guys probably didn't take care of themselves for a long time, and smoking is a huge risk factor. I'll probably live into my 90s, because my grandmother smoked and died at 87, and my dad smoked and died at 82. (I don't even count my mom, who got lung cancer and had a lobe of her lung removed at 51, because she chain-smoked to the tune of four packs a day!!!) I'm not sure I want to live too long, anyway. If I can remain vibrant and engaged with life and the people I love, that's great. If not, or if I begin having chronic, awful health problems... No thank you. Quality of life beats quantity any day!
Genetics more than lifestyle... I do think though that childhood illnesses weaken the body earlier as does environmental issues on where you live....overcrowding etc. My grannies children of thirteen all had different death ages ranging from babies of one and two to 25, the early 50s for one late 50s for two, some in mid 70s.. one in her 80s and the last and youngest born still alive at 90.. so its all chance too.. My own father and mother died at age 76 from bonchial and lung problems and lung cancer but both had been very heavy smokers most of their lives.. Ive never smoked and Im 68 so who knows whats in store.
Well, this is a depressing topic as I recently turned 49
I've never been overweight, have done cardio and weight training regularly since age 20, and my recent physical showed near perfect bloodwork. I asked for an EKG since heart trouble runs in my family, and that came back excellent. I feel the same at 49 as I did at 25, so I don't anticipate death in my 50s.
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i don't think it's true
Did you know that one of the "symptoms" of heart disease is sudden death?! 
