Three of my grandparents were like these folks you describe:
Grandpa: A coal miner for 50 years, he smoked hand-rolled cigarettes his entire life. Age at death: 96. Cause of death: viral infection leading to sepsis, then organ failure.
Grandma: Housewife and occasional seamstress for Gentex Corporation. Age at death: 96 Cause of death: Renal failure due to diabetes
Nana: Housewife and bank employee. Age at death: 103 (2 weeks shy of 104). Cause of death: Stroke.
My other grandfather died of head trauma after slipping on ice and smacking into the curb. Died suddenly 2 weeks later. He was also a smoker, but died at 51 due to this accident.
It is my opinion that these people should be studied extensively to find out what, exactly, they have in ‘em that prevents them from contracting deadly diseases like heart disease and cancer. ALL of these grandparents did NOTHING that would have met with today’s doctors’ approval. They lived as they wanted, ate and drank what they wanted, and of course, smoked cigarettes too. WHAT protected them? If I was a doctor...I’d want to know.
Regards,
“WHAT protected them? If I was a doctor...I’d want to know.”
And have the general population living to age 100? Do you know what that would do to Social Security?
/s!
In my family, sort of the opposite.
My paternal grandmother lived well into her eighties, and so did her sisters. Her baby brother, who was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge, is still around and in good health. Don’t recal if he smokes, but Grammy smoked like a chimney and her sisters smoked. Her parents lived until her Dad was 93 and her Mom was 88. However, my grandfather dropped dead from a heart arrythmia that may have been exacerbated by smoking.
My maternal grandmother also lived well into her eighties, and her Mom died at the age of 93. But my granddad died much earlier (heavy smoker) and only after suffering for more than a decade with lung problems. His sister, a non-smoker, lived well into her eighties.
This anecdotal evidence seems to me to say that some people have a long life span and some don’t, that there are some lifestyle factors, and smoking creams some people quite badly while letting others off the hook.