Test Determines Your Risk of Death
Frosty
2 hours, 57 minutes ago
If you're 50 or older, this test developed by researchers at the San
Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center attempts to calculate your
risk of death within four years. Of course, it's not foolproof, but the
researchers say it can give you a rough idea of your survival chances.
The test appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical
Association:
1. Age: 60-64 years old 1 point; 65-69 2 points; 70-74 3 points; 75-79
4 points; 80-84 5 points; 85 and older 7 points.
2. Male or Female: Male 2 points.
3. Body-Mass Index: Less than 25 (normal weight or less) 1 point.
(Calculate by multiplying height in inches times height in inches; then
divide weight in pounds by that total; then multiply the total by 703.)
4. Diabetes: 2 points.
5. Cancer (excluding minor skin cancers): 2 points.
6. Chronic lung disease that limits activities or requires oxygen use
at home: 2 points.
7. Congestive heart failure: 2 points.
8. Cigarette smoking in the past week: 2 points.
9. Difficulty bathing/showering because of a health or memory problem:
2 points.
10. Difficulty managing money, paying bills, keeping track of expenses
because of a health or memory problem: 2 points.
11. Difficulty walking several blocks because of a health problem: 2
points.
12. Difficulty pushing or pulling large objects like a living room
chair because of a health problem: 1 point.
Score:
0 to 5 points less than a 4 percent risk of dying; 6-9 points 15
percent risk; 10-13 points 42 percent risk; 14 or more points 64
percent risk.
Note: Researchers say the 1-point penalty for having a body-mass index
under 25 (normal weight or less) is based on findings that being
underweight is a health risk for elderly people.