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Determinants of Mortality at Older Ages: The Role of Biological Markers of Chronic Disease
Author(s) -
Turra Cassio M.,
Goldman Noreen,
Seplaki Christopher L.,
Glei Dana A.,
Lin YuHsuan,
Weinstein Maxine
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
population and development review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.836
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1728-4457
pISSN - 0098-7921
DOI - 10.1111/j.1728-4457.2005.00093.x
Subject(s) - longevity , explanatory power , logistic regression , disease , demography , biological age , gerontology , medicine , biology , philosophy , epistemology , sociology
Researchers have had a longstanding interest in understanding the determinants of mortality. This article examines the impact of a broad array of biological markers, together with self‐reports of physical and mental health status, on the probability of dying for older adults. The estimates are derived from logistic regression models based on data from a national survey in Taiwan. The analysis confirms previous studies demonstrating the effects of clinical measures related to metabolic syndrome on mortality and identifies detrimental effects of neuroendocrine and immune‐system markers. The results reveal that biomarkers provide independent explanatory power in the presence of self‐reported health measures. The associations between biomarkers and mortality found here provide new avenues for projecting future mortality and elucidating differences in longevity across populations.