º£½ÇÒùĸÂÒÂ×

  • Skip to content
  • Skip to footer
  • Accessibility options
º£½ÇÒùĸÂÒÂ×
  • º£½ÇÒùĸÂÒÂ×
  • Business and
    employers
  • Alumni and
    supporters
  • For
    students
  • Accessibility
    options
Open menu
Home
Home
  • Close
  • Study here
    • Get to know us
    • Why choose º£½ÇÒùĸÂÒÂ×?
    • Explore our prospectus
    • Chat to our students
    • Ask us a question
    • Meet us
    • Open days and visits
    • Virtual tours
    • Applicant days
    • Meet us in your country
    • Campuses
    • Our campuses
    • Our city
    • Accommodation options
    • Our halls
    • Helping you find a home
    • What you can study
    • Find a course
    • Full A-Z course list
    • Explore our subjects
    • Our academic departments
    • How to apply
    • Undergraduate application process
    • Postgraduate application process
    • International student application process
    • Apprenticeships
    • Transfer from another university
    • International students
    • Clearing
    • Funding your time at uni
    • Fees and financial support
    • What's included in your fees
    • º£½ÇÒùĸÂÒÂ× Boost – extra financial help
    • Advice and guidance
    • Advice for students
    • Guide for offer holders
    • Advice for parents and carers
    • Advice for schools and colleges
    • Supporting you
    • Your academic experience
    • Your wellbeing
    • Your career and employability
  • Research
    • Research and knowledge exchange
    • Research and knowledge exchange organisation
    • The Global Challenges
    • Centres of Research Excellence (COREs)
    • Research Excellence Groups (REGs)
    • Information for business
    • Community University Partnership Programme (CUPP)
    • Postgraduate research degrees
    • PhD research disciplines and programmes
    • PhD funding opportunities and studentships
    • How to apply for your PhD
    • Research environment
    • Investing in research careers
    • Strategic plan
    • Research concordat
    • News, events, publications and films
    • Featured research and knowledge exchange projects
    • Research and knowledge exchange news
    • Inaugural lectures
    • Research and knowledge exchange publications and films
    • Academic staff search
  • º£½ÇÒùĸÂÒÂ×
  • Business and employers
  • Alumni, supporters and giving
  • Current students
  • Accessibility
Search our site
Image of checkland building falmer campus
º£½ÇÒùĸÂÒÂ×
  • º£½ÇÒùĸÂÒÂ×
  • Your university
  • Governance and structure
  • Working with us
  • Statistics and legal
  • News and events
  • Contact us
  • News and events
  • News
  • 2016
  • Blue blood helps keeps the Queen fit

Blue blood helps keeps the Queen fit

Elizabeth II has a good chance of being healthier than one of her average subjects because of her high-class.

21 April 2016

The Queen, as she celebrates her 90th birthday on 21 April, like most women 85 and over, would normally expect to be six and ten times more likely than men to have rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and thyroid problems and, overall, have a significantly higher levels of disability.

Professor Richard Faragher, Professor of Biogerontology at the º£½ÇÒùĸÂÒÂ×, said many problems reported by 20-40 per cent of 1,000 people, 85 and over, who took part in a , would have difficulty carrying out royal duties because of incontinence, falling and visual impairment.

“Given that listening to politicians is an important part of the role, readers may wish to decide for themselves if advancing age has conferred an advantage or a disadvantage on the two-thirds of the cohort who report hearing difficulties.”

Dr Richard Faragher

Professor Faragher, in an , the website for news, comment and analysis, written by academics and researchers, said it would seem the odds are against the Queen continuing working.

“However, she does have three potential advantages. Firstly she has blue blood, and in the general population there is an (approximately) .

“Women from social class I (doctors, chartered accountants, professionally qualified engineers, etc) can expect to live about 80 years in a fairly good state of health. In contrast, healthy life expectancy at birth for unskilled women is only about 69 years. Thus Elizabeth II has a good chance of being healthier than one of her average subjects.

“Secondly, data from the 85+ study indicate there is a good chance that she feels positive about her health in general (and indeed the same study shows she is less likely than a man of the same age to develop atherosclerosis or cancer).

“Lastly, unlike those of her ancestors who continued to reign into old age such as Edward I (who died at 68) or Elizabeth I (who died at 70), Elizabeth II lives in the era of science. We now know that ageing occurs because the fundamental mechanisms which keep us in good health start to fail.

“Enough is  about these to use that knowledge to improve vaccination responses in the elderly using a selective inhibitor of the TOR protein which may also be beneficial for . A  aimed at improving late life health using a cheap and simple drug – metformin – is also planned.”

, who is affiliated with the British Society for Research on Ageing, the American Aging Association and the American Federation for Aging Research, said an enhanced immune system is a bonus to an older monarch who spends a lot of time opening hospital wards, it is equally valuable to those who would rather avoid having to use them.

“Indeed if the full potential of the new science of ageing can be translated into clinical practice, then a time in which inclination, rather than ill health, is the primary determinant of remaining in work may be nearer than you think.

“Which may or may not be good news for the Prince of Wales.”

Back to top

Contact us

º£½ÇÒùĸÂÒÂ×
Mithras House
Lewes Road
º£½ÇÒùĸÂÒÂ×
BN2 4AT

Main switchboard 01273 600900

Course enquiries

Sign up for updates

University contacts

Report a problem with this page

Quick links Quick links

  • Courses
  • Open days
  • Explore our prospectus
  • Academic departments
  • Academic staff
  • Professional services departments
  • Jobs
  • Privacy and cookie policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Libraries
  • Term dates
  • Maps
  • Graduation
  • Site information
  • The Student Contract

Information for Information for

  • Current students
  • International students
  • Media/press
  • Careers advisers/teachers
  • Parents/carers
  • Business/employers
  • Alumni/supporters
  • Suppliers
  • Local residents