Health Differences in Advanced Old Age

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Abstract
The first part of this paper provides a general outline of objectives and methods of the Internal Medicine and Geriatrics Unit of the Berlin Aging Study (BASE). Based on a multi-dimensional conceptualization of health, objective and laboratory data collected about different organ systems, e.g. cardiovascular and musculoskeletal, and functional capacity are complemented by qualitative clinical diagnoses and judgements as well as self-reported health problems and functional limitations. Some of the central questions that can be addressed using these data relate to understanding the nature and processes of differential ageing. The second part of the paper includes initial analyses of inter-individual health differences in advanced old age (70 to 105 years). Initial findings indicated that heterogeneity in somatic morbidity and functional capacity was at least as large in old adults (70 to 84 years) as in very old adults (85 to 105 years), even though higher rates of somatic morbidity and lower levels of functional capacity were observed in the very old. Chronological age and morbidity as well as psychosocial and demographic factors were found to be independent predictors of functional capacity in advanced old age. Additionally, the relative importance of psychosocial factors was found to be a function of age with lower predictive ability among the very old. In conclusion, these initial findings support the hypothesis of significant health differences in advanced old age due to differential ageing.

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