As we age, it is natural to become more concerned about our longevity, especially if we have experienced health challenges or engaged in unhealthy behaviors earlier in life. One way to assess probabilistic near-term (under five years) and long-term (10–25 years) mortality risk is to use an assessment known as the Deficit Index, also called the Frailty Index. Essentially, the index evaluates health across many different domains. Each item is scored as 0 (not present), 0.5 (a mild or partial problem), or 1 (a severe or fully present problem). The individual deficit scores are added together and then divided by…
