The Economist Centenarians. And They All Lived Happily Ever After. February 7, 1998.
Most people become decrepit as they age.
Those who live to be a hundred seem to have a special genetic endowment which slows this process down. In 1952, the queen sent out just 255 telegrams to congratulate her subjects on their centenaries. In 1996, she sent out 5,218. Doubtless, modern western medicine will try to take the credit for this. Certainly, it has helped people to live longer, healthier lives.