FDA Panel Supports Rapid, At-Home HIV Test

Home HIV tests should be sold in retail stores, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel urged Tuesday. If approved by the FDA, a mouth-swab test made by OraSure Technologies Inc.and sold commercially to health professionalswould become available over the counter. That way, people could check if they had the virus within the privacy of their own homes. The 20-minute test is 93 percent accurate for positive results and 99.8 percent for negative, according to the manufacturer. About 240,000 Americans are unaware they are HIV positive, and are responsible for between 50 and 70 percent of the 50,000 new infections each year. “There is huge global momentum in support of over-the-counter testing for HIV,” Nitika Pant Pai, an assistant professor of medicine at Montreal’s McGill University who co-authored an analysis of the effectiveness of an at-home HIV test earlier this year, told HealthDay. “People desire private, discreet options that protect their confidentiality.” It’s unclear how much the over-the-counter test would cost.

How to Cope With Criticism

You’re looking a little pudgy these days. Why didn’t you get that promotion? You should be doing a better job with the kids. Why isn’t the house cleaner?

Criticism stings. Yes, you’re going to feel deflated and defensive, and you’re probably going to take it personally. Certainly, it’s easier to give than receive. “No one enjoys being criticized, especially if it’s unfair,” says psychologist Harriet Lerner, author of The Dance of Anger. “Yet how well we respond determines how our relationships go, both at work and at home. A lot is at stake.”

It’s possible to master the art of coping with criticism, which is important for your well-being: “If you don’t learn how to deal with criticism, it’ll likely elevate your stress level and compromise your mental and emotional functioning,” says psychologist Leon Seltzer, who’s based in Del Mar, Calif. “Like everything else, it’s best not to let things get to you. That’s why learning how to effectively ‘process’ criticism is so important to happiness and well-being.”

Next time you’re in the hot seat, try these nine tactics:

1. Breathe. Do what you can to remain calm. Slow your breathing and take a long, deep breath before speaking. When you’re on guard, your nervous system quickens, interfering with your ability to appropriately listen and respond.

2. Postpone the conversation if necessary. If deep breaths don’t help and you’re too riled to engage in a reasonable conversation, trying to listen could actually do more harm than good. Tell the other person that you recognize the conversation’s importance, but that you can’t have it at that moment. Schedule another time so you can be prepared and ready to talk. [Read more: How to Cope With Criticism]

What Role Do Drugs Play in Determining Longevity?

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What Role Do Drugs Play in Determining Longevity?

Public release date: 15-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Stephanie Desmon sdesmon1@jhmi.edu 410-955-8665 Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

Even though hundreds of thousands more people finished grueling 26.2 mile marathons in the United States in 2009 compared to a decade earlier, a runner’s risk of dying during or soon after the race has remained very low about .75 per 100,000, new Johns Hopkins research suggests. Men, however, were twice as likely to die as women.

“It’s very dramatic when someone dies on the course, but it’s not common,” says Julius Cuong Pham, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of emergency medicine and anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and leader of the study published online in The American Journal of Sports Medicine. “There are clearly many health benefits associated with running. It doesn’t make you immune, but your risk of dying from running a marathon is very, very low.”

Pham and his colleagues found that between 2000 and 2009, 28 people died during or in the 24 hours following, a marathon, most of them men. Half of those who died were over age 45, and all but one in the over-45 group died of heart disease. For younger runners, the cause of death varied widely and included cardiac arrhythmia and hyponatremia, the latter owing to drinking excessive amounts of water.

Marathons have long been considered the pinnacle of endurance sports, but they have become wildly popular in recent years. Pham and colleagues looked at statistics from approximately 300 marathons per year and found that the number of finishers increased dramatically between 2000 and 2009, from 299,018 to 473,354. The researchers said they believe the recent increase in marathon popularity is partially because of increasing awareness of the health benefits gained from regular exercise.

Numerous studies have linked exercise to better physical and mental health, and to longevity, Pham says. Similarly, marathon running has been associated with decreased risks of hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes. People who run regularly have been found to have lower rates of all-cause mortality and disability.

With so many more people participating, Pham says he expected to find that the pace of marathons would have slowed over time, but the average finishing time also stayed steady at roughly four hours and 35 minutes.

One limitation of the study, however, is that there is no easily available access to data on the number of people who drop out of the races without finishing, which may have artificially kept average finishing times higher.

Pham, a three-time marathoner himself, cautions that people should not think that marathon training or running is risk-free. He noted that studies have shown the yearly incidence of injury in people training for marathons to be as high as 90 percent, with the vast majority of injuries damaging the musculoskeletal system.

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Death risk for marathoners remains low during or soon after race

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A Little More Education, a Little Longer Life?

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The Hunt for an Anti-Aging Pill Is on

WASHINGTON, May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –In response to today’s Perspective pieces published in the New England Journal Of Medicine, the National Bone Health Alliance (NBHA), a public-private partnership bringing together the expertise and resources of its 42 members from the private and non-profit sectors to collectively advance bone health and prevent disease, commends the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for continuing to investigate the risks and benefits of long-term bisphosphonate treatment. As recommended in the articles, NBHA encourages patients to talk with their healthcare providers about the risks and benefits of bisphosphonate and other osteoporosis treatments as well as their individual risk factors for osteoporosis and broken bones in order to determine the appropriate method and length of treatment.

“Members of the public and healthcare professionals alike have been looking for clarity regarding the appropriate length of bisphosphonate treatment,” said Sundeep Khosla, MD, Chair, National Bone Health Alliance, Immediate Past President, American Society for Bone and Mineral Research and Professor of Medicine and Physiology and Associate Dean for Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. “We know that patients have to be evaluated and monitored individually to determine their individual risk versus benefit before starting on or continuing bisphosphonate treatment and we are happy to see the FDA acknowledge that each patient’s needs are different. The NBHA’s ultimate goal is to protect the two million Americans who suffer broken bones each year due to osteoporosis from suffering a second and potentially more devastating fracture.”

The two million fractures that occur in the U.S every year cost the healthcare system $19 billion, yet only 21 percent of women age 67 and above who break a bone receive a follow-up test or treatment for osteoporosis. The number of fractures is expected to rise to three million per year and $25 billion in annual costs by 2025. Fractures have a negative impact on quality of life, can cause physical and functional limitations and affect longevity, particularly for patients with hip and spine fractures.In fact, breaking a hip more than doubles a woman’s risk of early death.

NBHA urges patients to consult with their healthcare professional about their individual risk factors before determining the best course of treatment. The risks and benefits of bisphosphonate treatment favors treating patients at high risk for fracture, including those who have suffered a previous hip or spine fracture due to osteoporosis or those with a bone mineral density (BMD) score of less than -2.5.

“As suggested by the FDA’s ongoing analysis, giving some patients intermittent drug holidays may be appropriate clinical practice,” said Robert Recker, MD, MACP, FACE, Vice Chair, National Bone Health Alliance, President, National Osteoporosis Foundation and Director, Osteoporosis Research Center Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska. “While the case for drug holidays is suggested, we first want to address the under-treatment of osteoporosis and encourage the public to talk with their healthcare professionals to determine if they are at-risk for osteoporosis and if therapy is appropriate to help them prevent fracture. Treatment plays an important role in stopping bone loss and preventing broken bones. And with the number of osteoporotic fractures that occur annually exceeding the incidence of heart attacks, stroke and breast cancer combined, the need for effective treatment to prevent fractures has never been more clear.”

NBHA and its member organizations issued statements today noting that bisphosphonate and other treatments are highly effective in the right patients and that patients should not discontinue use of these or any other osteoporosis medicines without speaking to their healthcare professional. Studies have found that bisphosphonates reduce the risk of a broken hip in people with osteoporosis by 50 percent or more, and also reduce the risk of other broken bones, making it clear that bishosphonate treatment is effective in preventing fractures.

To draw attention to the fact that two million fractures occur in the U.S. annually and represent the most significant risk factor for osteoporosis, NBHA has launched a national awareness campaign to make the connection between fractures and osteoporosis. With the theme “2Million2Many,” the campaign issues a strong and clear call to action that anyone over 50 years of age who fractures should talk with their health care professional about their risk for osteoporosis, consider getting a bone density test and pursuing treatment to prevent osteoporosis and broken bones, if appropriate.

For more information or to schedule an interview with an NBHA expert, please contact Valerie Patmintra at (202) 320-6388 or valerie.patmintra@nbha.org.

About the National Bone Health Alliance

Established in late 2010, the National Bone Health Alliance is a public-private partnership that brings together the expertise and resources of various partners across a broad spectrum to promote bone health and prevent disease; improve diagnosis and treatment of bone disease; and enhance bone research, surveillance and evaluation. The NBHA is a platform that allows all voices in the bone health community to work together around shared priorities and develop projects that can become reality through pooled funding. The 42 members of the Alliance (as well as liaisons representing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institutes of Health and U.S. Food and Drug Administration) are working from a shared vision: to improve the overall health and quality of life of all Americans by enhancing their bone health. For more information on the NBHA, visit www.nbha.org; more information about the 2Million2Many awareness campaign is available at www.2Million2Many.org.

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Do You Have What it Takes to Live to 100?

ScienceDaily (May 11, 2012) The naked mole-rat, a curiously strange, hairless rodent, lives many years longer than any other mouse or rat. Scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio’s Barshop Institute of Longevity and Aging Studies continue to explore this mystery.

On May 2 a Barshop Institute team reported that the naked mole-rat’s cellular machines for protein disposal — called proteasome assemblies — differ in composition from those of other short-lived rodents. The study is in the journal PLoS ONE.

This is the first report of the molecular mechanisms that underlie the naked mole-rat’s superior ability to maintain protein integrity. “More effective removal of damaged proteins within the cell would enable the animal to be able to maintain good function and is likely to contribute to its excellent maintenance of good health well into its third decade of life,” said Rochelle Buffenstein, Ph.D., of the Barshop Institute. Dr. Buffenstein is a professor of physiology and cellular and structural biology in the School of Medicine at the UT Health Science Center.

Protein integrity

Dr. Buffenstein and her research team in 2009 reported that the naked mole-rat maintains exceptional protein integrity throughout its long and healthy life. In the new study, the team found a greater number of proteasomes and higher protein-disposal activity in naked mole-rat liver cells.

The Barshop Institute scientists, including lead author Karl Rodriguez, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow, and Yael Edrey, graduate student, also found large numbers of immunoproteasomes in the liver cells — a bit of a surprise because these protein disposers, which remove antigens after presentation in the immune system, are more commonly found in the spleen and thymus.

“Given the high levels of oxidative damage routinely seen in liver tissue of naked mole-rats, it is likely that, in the liver, these immunoproteasomes may play a critical role in the processing of oxidatively damaged proteins,” Dr. Buffenstein said.

Oxidative stress

Oxygen is a reactive molecule, rusting unsealed metals and darkening fruit. In the body over time, it is thought to cause an accumulation of damage leading to functional decline, diseases and aging. This is called the oxidative stress theory of aging.

Naked mole-rats, which live underground in the wild, exhibit high levels of oxidative stress even at a young age, yet do not show many signs of age-related decline until very late in life.

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Déjà vu all over again

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How to Avoid the Biggest Health Risks

Public release date: 7-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Joyce Peterson joyce.peterson@jax.org 207-288-6058 Jackson Laboratory

An intriguing clue to longevity lurks in the sexual maturation timetable of female mammals, Jackson Laboratory researchers and their collaborators report.

Jackson researchers including Research Scientist Rong Yuan, Ph.D., had previously established that mouse strains with lower circulating levels of the hormone IGF1 at age six months live longer than other strains. In research published May 7 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Yuan and colleagues report that females from strains with lower IGF1 levels also reach sexual maturity at a significantly later age.

“This suggests a genetically regulated tradeoffdelayed reproduction but longer lifethat is at least partially mediated by IGF1,” Yuan says.

The researchers conclude that IGF1 may co-regulate female sexual maturation and longevity. They showed that mouse strains derived from wild populations carry specific gene variants that delay sexual maturation, and they identified a candidate gene, Nrip1, involved in regulating sexual maturation that may also affect longevity by controlling IGF1 levels.

Yuan notes that researchers in England recently showed that higher levels of IGF1 and other hormones in girls are associated with earlier age of menarche (onset of menstruation). In the newly published research, Yuan and colleagues used the biological benchmark of vaginal patency (VP) as indicator of sexual maturity in mice.

Mice from the inbred strain C57BL/6J, also known as “Black 6,” showed 9 percent lower IGF1, 6 percent delayed age of VP and 24 percent extended lifespan compared to a Black 6 substrain that carries a gene variation that increases IGF1.

Using a technique called haplotype mapping, the researchers screened genetic and physiological data for 31 different inbred mouse strains and found genes that regulate female sexual maturation and lifespan, on Chromosomes 4 and 16. They showed that wild-derived mouse strains share a genetic profile associated with delayed VP and increased longevity, and identified a candidate gene, Nrip1, that controls IGF1 and age of VP.

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Delayed female sexual maturity linked to longer lifespan in mice

There’s good news for Northern Ireland’s shorter men, which new research has found live longer than taller men, according to research.

Research into longevity based on height found that of 500 men born between 1866 and 1915 from the Italian island of Sardinia backed up 12 previous similar studies, according to the Daily Mirror.

The latest research by Belgian and Italian professors found that those vertically challenged men amongst us can expect to live on average two years longer than their taller peers.

The professors new research comes in the wake of the Sardinia’s description as a ‘blue zone’ where there is a remarkably high percentage of long-lived people, who are also shorter than most Europeans.

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Short men live longer

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Are You Sitting Yourself to Death?

VAIL, CO–(Marketwire -05/02/12)- Health enthusiasts from around the country will gather to network with marathon legends, cycling champions, renowned medical researchers and the nation’s leading health and fitness experts at Living at Your Peak (www.livingatyourpeak.org), the Rocky Mountain region’s premier wellness experience. The inaugural summit, to be held September 13-15, 2012, in Vail, Colo., is the nation’s only gathering designed to help health-conscious individuals and influencers discover how to live longer, better and impact the wellbeing of their world.

“Living at Your Peak is designed to promote life-long health and fitness through customized experiences in an intimate setting,” said Jamie Stone, Living at Your Peak event champion and a board member of the Vail Symposium, a nonprofit organization responsible for Living at Your Peak. “With exclusive access to proven experts and peak performers in the fields of fitness, nutrition, cognitive and emotional health, medicine and cutting-edge research, our guests will gain valuable insight into the changes they can make in their daily lives that will affect their future health.”

Jenna Wolfe, co-anchor of NBC News’ Sunday TODAY show, will emcee the event, which is intended for individuals who are interested in learning how to maximize their health, as well as corporate, non-profit and government leaders. The summit offers guests unparalleled access to accomplished world champions; internationally recognized trainers, coaches, researchers and doctors; top chefs, nutritionists and world-class restaurants; and peer networking opportunities.

Among others, confirmed presenters include:

Additional presenters will be announced as the event nears. Visit www.livingatyourpeak.org for details.

Living at Your Peak sessions will offer interactive components to engage guests beyond a traditional presentation environment. Session themes include:

Guests will complete a pre-attendance survey to create an individualized agenda and establish physical and mental goals to be addressed through specific programming. A personal concierge will manage guests’ event needs, including session scheduling and weekend activities planning. Follow-up coaching, an interactive online community and a winter series will empower guests to take home their Living at Your Peak experience and positively impact their personal networks.

“We want Colorado to be the healthiest state in the nation because healthy living is a strong driver of economic and tourism well-being,” said Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper. “Conferences like the Vail Symposium’s Living at Your Peak can move us in that direction through their commitment to physical, intellectual and emotional health and well being.”

Living at Your Peak registration is $1,000 until June 30 and $1,200 beginning July 1, and includes priority access to event sessions, event coordination with a personal concierge, exclusive access to VIP events and gourmet meals prepared by Vail’s internationally renowned chefs. Spouse passes are $300 and individual session fees start at $50 per session.

The summit is organized by the Vail Symposium, a grassroots, non-profit organization providing thought-provoking, diverse and affordable educational programs to the Vail Valley community. Event sponsors include The Vitality Center at Vail Mountain Lodge, the Town of Vail, Antlers at Vail Condominiums and Conference Center, the Colorado Hospital Association, Lifetime Fitness, Colorado Access, the Biegler Foundation and Wendy and Paul Raether.

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Living at Your Peak Promises Unparalleled Access to Leading Health, Fitness and Longevity Experts

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Tulsa Based TheWiseAlternative.com Launches New Website for Athletes and Patients Needing Health and Wellness, Wanting …

More Babies Born to Painkiller-Addicted Moms

The number of babies born addicted to opiates, the class of drugs that includes heroin, methadone, and some prescription painkillers, has nearly tripled in the past decade. In fact, a baby is born every hour with signs of opiate drug withdrawal, according to a study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Neonatal abstinence syndrome, or becoming addicted to drugs in utero, causes withdrawal once the baby is out of the womb. Symptoms include seizures and tremors, respiratory distress, vomiting, and an inability to eat without becoming sick. It’s unclear what kind of long-term health effects kids born to opiate-addicted moms suffer; some studies suggest they grow up with a higher risk of developmental problems. The costs associated with treating these newborns, however, is more concrete, reaching $720 million in 2009. Most are covered by the publicly financed Medicaid program. “This study is part of a bigger call to the fact that opiates are becoming a big problem in this country,” study author Stephen Patrick, a fellow in neonatal-perinatal medicine at the University of Michigan, told Reuters. Opiate-addicted infants “are far more inconsolable than other babies. They appear uncomfortable, sometimes they breathe a little faster… they’re scratching their faces.”

Can Your Mental Health Affect Your Longevity?

There’s truth to the adage that you’re only as old as you feel. “Physical well-being and subjective well-being are two sides of the same coin,” says Howard Friedman, author of The Longevity Project, a research-based look at who lives the longest and why. “Mental health affects physical health, and physical health affects mental health.”

Research paints a compelling argument. Adults with serious mental illness like schizophrenia die about 25 years earlier than the general population, according to a 2007 report from the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. They’re 3.4 times more likely to die of heart disease or diabetes, 3.8 times more likely to die in an accident, 5 times more likely to die of respiratory ailments, and 6.6 times more likely to die of pneumonia or flu, found the team led by Joseph Parks, director of the Missouri Institute of Mental Health.

Why? They often get little exercise, leading to obesity and hiking the odds of diabetes and heart disease. They’re also more likely than others to smoke and have alcohol and drug-abuse problems. It’s common for their medical needs to slip through the cracks, too, because they often cannot adequately advocate for their own health.

But evidence of the mind-body connection transcends serious mental illness and the unhealthy habits that often go along with it. Take negative emotions, for example. While they may not cause a disease, they appear to accelerate its progression, says Laura Carstensen, a professor of psychology at Stanford University and author of A Long Bright Future. Research suggests that HIV infections progress faster in gay men who are closeted than those who live openly. That’s likely because the brain translates that fear of rejection and isolation into physical stress, which can weaken the immune system. “We’re only beginning to understand the potential mechanisms that could be involved,” she says. “But it’s clear that people who are more positive are more likely to survive, and to survive longer.” [Read more: Can Your Mental Health Affect Your Longevity?]

Acid Reflux ReliefWithout a Pill

Feeling the burn? That painful sensation in your chest or throatacid reflux, or what doctors call GERDisn’t intractable. Lifestyle and dietary tweaks can bring relief, experts say. “Simple [changes] can make a big difference,” says gastroenterologist Jorge Rodriguez, author of the new book The Acid Reflux Solution (Ten Speed Press, $21.99). That’s promising, since researchers warn that heartburn drugs may do more harm than good, increasing the risk of infection with an intestinal bacteria or even the likelihood of contracting pneumonia.

Here are nine easy ways to alleviate heartburn without swallowing a pill:

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Health Buzz: More Babies Born to Opiate-Addicted Moms

World expert on ageing Alexandre Kalache: ‘We are going to age differently. We are starting to see role models who are active, demanding, who will want to work longer or will want more leisure or will want to take part in society and expect that people will listen to their voices. Its exciting because its a new stage of human development.’

Alexandre Kalache is a world expert on ageing. With average life expectancy now above 80, he discusses what Australia should do to prepare for the longevity revolution.

ALEXANDRE Kalache’s departure from his job as the World Health Organisation’s Director of Ageing in 2007 was a moment of bitter irony. In October of that year he turned 62, and despite being fit and energetic with years of good work still ahead of him, he was forced by the organisation to retire.

It is policies such as this that, paradoxically, represent the central theme of Kalache’s life work: that the retirement structure used by most developed countries was conceived in the 19th century and has ceased to be relevant in the 21st century. It is time for societies to adapt to what he calls the “longevity revolution”.

When Kalache was born in 1945, life expectancy in his native Brazil was 43; now the average Brazilian can expect to live to 75. Kalache describes this leap in life expectancy in such a short time (mirrored in developed countries including Australia) as “the greatest societal achievement of the 20th century – something to celebrate”.

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But he also warns that “it threatens to become the greatest challenge for the 21st century if we don’t have the right policies”.

The numbers explain the challenge: by 2050, the number of people aged over 60 will double to more than 2 billion, or 22 per cent of the global population. With life expectancy in more than 20 developed countries already above 80, the economic and social impact on societies of an increasingly healthy ageing populace are obvious. For example, in Australia the cost of aged care is expected to double by 2050.

Politically, it also brings opportunities for governments to target the so-called “grey vote” – evidenced in the Gillard government’s much-trumpeted aged-care announcement on April 20.

For his part, retirement has been a productive time for Kalache. His various positions include being president of the International Longevity Centre in Brazil, a senior adviser on global ageing at the New York Academy of Medicine, and a Resident Thinker on Ageing for the government of South Australia, where he is currently visiting.

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The new age of old age

Life-span predictions may sound like the stuff of tarot cards and palm readers. But an increasingly sophisticated set of online tools promise to help individuals gain a sense of how long they might live — and retirees, health care providers and financial planners are paying attention.

Government agencies, geriatricians, financial-services firms and other groups are now offering these free Web-based calculators. The tools are gaining popularity as older adults face a host of difficult questions that revolve around life expectancy: Should you start taking Social Security at age 62 or wait and collect a bigger check at 70? Do the longer-term benefits of various types of cancer screening outweigh the immediate risks of these procedures? Given your current rate of portfolio withdrawals, do you risk outliving your nest egg?

[More from Kiplinger: The Benefits of Longevity Insurance]

The most basic calculators ask for your gender and birthdate. The more complex versions ask dozens of questions about your eating habits, how you handle stress, and even how many friends you’ve made in the past year. Some will spit out an exact life-span estimate and offer suggestions on ways to extend it, while others will show a range of probable life spans or the risk that you’ll die within, say, five years.

Yet there are a number of caveats for seniors who use these calculators to make financial planning or health care decisions. Although the results generated by these tools may appear precise, they’re often based on averages for a broad population of people. “Lots of them only tell you a single number, and it’s really bad to plan based on the average,” says Lyle Ungar, associate professor of computer and information science at the University of Pennsylvania, who helped develop an online life-span calculator. “No calculator can be superaccurate for you.”

What’s more, as mortality tables and medical research evolve over time, these tools can become outdated if they’re not revised. Dr. Thomas Perls, associate professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and creator of the calculator at LivingTo100.com, notes that his tool once recommended vitamin E as a potentially life-prolonging supplement, but he later removed the recommendation after studies were published showing possible risks.

Making Health Care and Financial Decisions

Although patients and doctors are sometimes reluctant to discuss the issue, life expectancy can be a key factor in many health care decisions. For example, life expectancy may play into an elderly patient’s decision to undergo various types of cancer screening. Older patients with a relatively short life expectancy — say, five years or less — might consider that potential screening benefits could take many years to materialize, whereas risks could show up right away. Those risks might include false-positive results that trigger unnecessary follow-up procedures as well as the identification and treatment of cancers that are unlikely to produce symptoms during your lifetime. A person with a long life expectancy, however, might focus on long-term benefits more than near-term risks.

“Many of the things we do in medicine impose risks immediately with delayed benefits,” says Dr. Sei Lee, assistant professor of geriatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. Although colonoscopies and mammograms decrease cancer deaths, usually those benefits take five to ten years to be seen, he says.

[More from Kiplinger: QUIZ: Are You Saving Enough for Retirement?]

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Your Life Span? Ask the Calculator