Abstract
The definition of successful aging and identification of predictors have been extensively reviewed, less attention however, has been given to the role of this condition on mortality. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of aging status (normal or successful) on mortality in a South Brazilian population-based cohort, adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical variables, and to report the mortality rate and causes of death in this population. METHODS: The baseline sample comprised 345 community-dwelling, independent and healthy Southern Brazilian older individuals who were followed for 12 years. Clinical, socio-demographic, functional and cognitive variables were assessed at baseline and during the follow-up. At baseline, 214 participants fulfilled criteria for successful aging, and 131 for normal aging. The main outcome was death. RESULTS: The Cox regression model showed an increased risk for mortality in subjects with normal aging (HR=1.9; p=0.003) adjusted by age (HR=1.1; p<0.001) and by sex (HR=1.9; p=0.002). The overall mortality rate was 41% and the rate was significantly lower among successful than normal agers (p=0.001). The main causes of death were cardiovascular disease and cancer. CONCLUSION: Our main finding was an increased risk of mortality among normal in comparison with successful aging subjects, emphasizing the impact of the heterogeneity of the healthy aging process on mortality.