In 1900, the average American could expect to live to age forty-seven. Today, life expectancy is over seventy-six, and when older folks die, the reason is more likely to be chronic disease than acute illness. But those who outlive these odds face other daunting statistics: The average seventy-five-year-old suffers from three chronic medical conditions and takes five prescription medicines, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Among those over sixty-five, most suffer from hypertension; more than two-thirds are overweight; and nearly 20 percent have diabetes (which triples the
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