Interesting, though I would suspect another factor at work here: people who choose to continue working past retirement do so because they find their work fulfilling. That can work wonders for their emotional (and even physical) well-being.<p>Orchestra conductors, from what I've noticed, seem to live particularly long lives, and many of them continue conducting into their 80s and 90s. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a combination of physical and mental vigor in addition to simply loving what they do.