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We know that functional disability increases with age, but the magnitude of specific limitations is still largely unknown in the oldest old (those aged 90 years or older). The 90+ Study, a population-based study of aging, examined disability in activities of daily living (ADLs; defined as bathing, dressing, feeding, toileting, walking, and transferring in and out of a bed or chair),1 in the oldest old, the fastest growing age group in the United States. By examining the incidence of individual ADL disability, The 90+ Study determined the ADLs for which the most individuals were impaired; in addition, it sought to determine which ADLs make the best targets for potential therapeutics.
To determine incident disability in each ADL, participants in the study were asked to identify an informant who could best provide researchers with information about their functional abilities via postal mail. A questionnaire was mailed annually to this informant asking about the participant's abilities for each ADL.
We examined the incidence rates for each ADL using a person-years analysis. We defined disability in an ADL as requiring help from another person to perform it. At baseline, the mean age of the 216 nondisabled participants was 93.7 years; 56.9% still...