Rich People Don't Just Live Longer. They Also Get More Healthy Years

An international study in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A found wealthy men and women live longer and enjoy more years of good health after age 50 than the poorest individuals in the United States and Britain, reports the New York Times . In both countries, affluent women tended to live 33 disability-free years after 50, or eight to nine more than poor women. Meanwhile, rich men tended to live 31 disability-free years after 50 — eight to nine more than poor men. The researchers defined wealth as ownership of physical possessions like a home, jewels, and artworks, as well as other financial assets such as savings and investments that had been accumulated over a lifetime, excluding debts. The average wealth for Americans was $29,000 for the poorest group, $180,000 in the middle range, and $980,000 for the richest group. Neither education level nor social class was as significant a factor as wealth. "More wealth means it's easier to get to your appointments and access additional services that would not be available to people with less," declared Cornell University's Corinna Loeckenhoff.