Men and women report comparable levels of well-being. Disability rates are declining as well. But large numbers of older people find their health threatened by memory impairments, depression, chronic conditions, and disability, especially at very advanced ages, which can substantially diminish quality of life. Americans born at the beginning of the 21 st century are expected to live almost 30 years longer than those born at the turn of the 20 th century. In 1997, a newborn baby girl could expect to live 79 years and a boy 74 years, compared to 51 years for a girl and 48 years for a boy born in 1900.
Life expectancy varies by race, however.
The average life expectancy for a white baby born in 1997 was 6 years higher than for a black baby born in the same year. Chronic disease, memory impairment, and depressive symptoms affect large numbers of older people, and the risk of such problems often increases with age. In 1995, almost 60 percent of people age 70 and older report having arthritis, up slightly from the proportion reporting arthritis in 1984. The prevalence of arthritis and other chronic diseases, such as hypertension, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke are also reported, and vary by race and ethnicity. Despite the prevalence of illness or chronic conditions, the proportion of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older with a chronic disability was 21 percent in 1994, down from 24 percent in 1982.