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I believe that the three factors  that affect aging and longevity greatly are heredity, gender, and physical activity.

My family has a long and interesting history. We have veterans from the Civil War down to the current conflict (Operation Enduring Freedom), Masonry, Policing, Medical Profession, and many more. We also have a long line of ancestors and living relatives whom all reached the age of 85. Nearly 40 of them reached ages 90 to 102. A large scale New England Centenarian Study found that at least half of participating centenarians had first-degree relatives or grandparents whom also achieved very old age (Ferrini & Farrini 2013, Ch 2, Pg 34). This is evident in our family in the below example (maternal):

Silvia Davis 94 (my 3^rd great grandmother) 1865-1959

Susie Davis Lee 99 (my 2^nd great grandmother) 1894-1993

Maple Lee 95 (my 2^nd great uncle) 1915-2010 

This is a mother, daughter, and grandson… three direct descendants all surpassing the age of 90 with the last, my uncle Maple dying in 2010.

Gender also plays a critical role in longevity. The oldest male relative in my family was my 2^nd great uncle Maple 95 followed closely by a paternal 2^nd great uncle, Rubin, whom died in 1988 at age 94. The numbers of older women outnumber that of men about 2 to 1. The oldest females in our family are my 2^nd great aunt Laura whom died in 1999 at age 102, my 2^nd great grandmother Susie (mentioned above), and my 2^nd great aunt Annie, whom died in 2012 at age 99. There are many reasons for this age different found in gender. The one that I find most interesting and worth citing is that of the chromosomes. The X chromosome (females have 2, males have 1) carries important genes for immune system functioning and possibly genes that repair damage within the cell (Ferrini & Ferrini 2013, Ch 2, Pg 35). With aging is a general decline in the immune system and health in general often times. With less X chromosomes the difficulty in men  outliving women is justified in my opinion.

I think that the most effective way to combat aging and maintain mobility is to maintain a physical activity level that keeps one mobile and challenged. This can combat ailments like the early onset of arthritis and can contribute to keeping the mind sharp.

With regard to aging theories, I think that the Programmed theory seems easier to articulate to others based on our societal views regarding life and death. As we live over three quarters of a century, it almost seems natural for decline and systems that have been strained so long to begin to show wear and tear. I believe that I’d rather focus on random aging however.

I have seen numerous older people that are in very bad mental and physical condition but have had so many relatives to reach this age group and remain in very good condition. For this reason, it is hard for me to accept that your last years have to be your worst and accompanied by pain and suffering. I believe that numerous longevity longitude studies are needed to further investigate this. I find is worth funding and investigating why some are totally dependent upon others and in nursing homes by age 70 when I had 2^nd great aunts and uncles in their 90s and 100s living at home and still attending church weekly.

Ferrini, A & Ferrini, R (2013). Health in the later years (5^th ed.). New York, NY. McGraw-Hill