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Comment by AdrianB1 | Hacker News Reader

It is preferable to die of "old age" (including heart disease or dementia) at 90 than from cancer at 35. Yes, eventually everyone dies, but some early deaths are preventable, it seems to be half of cancer deaths, some car crashes, suicides etc. This means we can and should do something about it.

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>It is preferable to die of "old age" (including heart disease or dementia) at 90 than from cancer at 35.

Dementia shouldn't be preferable, you'll make life of your relatives painful

Living with one case in the extended family, we are still glad she is alive and able to recognize most of us and have a discussion, but probably this is a very subjective matter and your experiences may be different.

(Virtually) no-one dies of lifestyle-related cancers at 35. I still wouldn't want to die of cancer or heart disease at 60-80 (my grandmother was very unhealthy, had her first heart attack before 65, and died at 72), but I think dementia is a scarier prospect (my great grandmother died at 96 but had dementia for at least a decade before that).

My grandmother died at 99 with dementia. It didn't last too long, thankfully--it came only in the last few months.

I'm so thankful even just for the last couple of years she got to spend with us. She was my neighbor, so we got to spend a lot of time together, and we had always been close.

There was in fact a bit of pain seeing her at the end, but I don't remember her that way, and I wouldn't change any of it.

It's definitely preferable to RISK dementia. It's not like it's a guarantee at some certain age.

A lot of the joy in my life would have been diminished if she hadn't lived so long.

Not always, if you’ve been close to someone who lived into their 90s and were barely there for a decade due to mental decline you wouldn’t necessarily think it was the best way to go. Rotting in a nursing home confused and suffering for a couple of decades isn’t luxury.

You are completely right. In the few cases of dementia I know, people lived just a few weeks after they completely lost memory and awareness, not long term.

Thats unusual, if I'm understanding your description right. Severe dementia (requiring 24 hour care/supervision) lasts a couple of years on average. Even moderate dementia, the level at which people can live in memory care units but have trouble communicating and understanding their surroundings, can last ten years.

You were lucky. Some forms can last several years, and those are not unusual.

What the hell? A slow decline for years is not uncommon at all. At first you know that you are going to forget yourself and be completely helpless, and then you spend years in that state.

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