« | Main | The Coronation of Pelosi »
December 28, 2006
Fail This Test and You Might Die Soon
"Hey, doc, how long have I got?" Now there's an answer to that!
If you're 50 or older, all you have to do is answer 12 questions about important risk factors for life and death, and you'll find out your chances of dying in the next four years, reports The Associated Press. Interestingly, doctors say it's 80 percent accurate.
Take the test! The object is to get a low score.
1. Age. Use this point guide:
* Age 60-64: 1 point
* Age 65-69: 2 points
* Age 70-74: 3 points
* Age 75-79: 4 points
* Age 80-84: 5 points
* Age 85 or older: 7 points
2. Sex. Give yourself two points if you're a man; no points if you're a woman.
3. Weight, height and BMI (body mass index). Give yourself one point if your BMI is below normal (less than 25).
4. Has a doctor told you that you have diabetes or high blood sugar? If so, give yourself two points.
5. Has a doctor ever told you that you have cancer or a malignant tumor, excluding minor skin cancers? If so, give yourself two points.
6. Do you have a chronic lung disease that limits your usual activities or makes you need oxygen at home? If so, give yourself two points.
7. Has a doctor ever told you that you have congestive heart failure? If so, give yourself two points.
8. Have you smoked cigarettes in the past week? If so, give yourself two points.
9. Because of a health or memory problem, do you have any difficulty with bathing or showering? If so, give yourself two points.
10. Because of a health or memory problem, do you have any difficulty with managing your money--such as paying your bills and keeping track of expenses? If so, give yourself two points.
11. Because of a health problem do you have any difficulty with walking several blocks? If so, give yourself two points.
12. Because of a health problem do you have any difficulty with pulling or pushing large objects like a living room chair? If so, give yourself one point.
Source: Journal of the American Medical Association
Scoring: Add up the points. Your risk of dying in four years is:
0 to 5 points: Less than 4 percent
6 to 9 points: 15 percent
10 to 13 points: 42 percent
14 or more points: 64 percent
In case you thought question 3 was a typo, it's not. Yes, it really does give a point to those whose BMI is less than 25, which includes those of normal weight, while those who are overweight are not penalized. Why? A particularly disturbing sign in the elderly is weight loss due to illness.
Co-developed by Dr. Sei Lee, a geriatrics researcher at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the quiz is designed to help doctors and families get an idea of what the future could hold and then plan health care accordingly. "We know that patients and families want more prognostic information from doctors," Lee told AP. "It's a very natural human question of, 'What's going to happen to me?' We also know that doctors are very cautious about giving prognostic information because they don't want to be wrong."
The test is not foolproof. It's easy to see what it doesn't ask--how much you weigh, family medical history, blood pressure and cholesterol. Also, if your risk of death is high, talk to your doctor before you panic. "Even if somebody looks at their numbers and finds they have a 60 percent risk of death, there could be other mitigating factors," co-author and VA researcher Dr. Kenneth Covinsky told AP.
Maybe this is the wakeup call you need to start exercising and eating right.
Posted by Post Scripts at December 28, 2006 08:24 PM