1. Mounting health risk: Alzheimer’s disease now surpasses diabetes, influenza and pneumonia as a cause of death for people age 65 and over, according to the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics. Being in poor physical shape may increase the risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, researchers at the Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle recently found.

2. But we’re living longer: The average life span of Americans is now 77.6 years – and the life expectancy of men is drawing closer to that of women, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

3. Eat less and live longer: A low-calorie diet, even in people who aren’t obese, can lead to changes in metabolism and body chemistry that have been linked to better health and longer life. Findings in a recent study support the theory that eating less – long known to prolong life in rats and mice – may do the same for humans. Most participants in the study by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University reduced calories by 25 percent, but some cut back more and ate only 890 calories a day for several months.

4. It’s expensive: Over the past decade, average prescription drug costs have tripled from $542 in 1992 to $1,740 in 2002 for people 65 and up on Medicare who are not institutionalized, says the National Center for Health Statistics.

5. How long will you live? Get an idea from the Life Expectancy Calculator developed by Dr. Thomas T. Perls, author of “Living to 100,” at www.livingto100.com. The calculator asks 40 questions related to your health and family history, and takes about 10 minutes to complete. It also gives advice about changes you can make to live longer.