I don't think that they "especially" stink. All through the first 2 months I've had my hedgie, he's been kept in my room. He's in my room on the weekends when I go home to my mom's house. I do "smell" his scent, but I don't find it especially bad, and it goes away fairly quickly. My hedgie smells like flax seed :lol: If that helps any XD But that's just cause I add flax seed oil to his back and his bath rinse.
The generalization is that the older ANY animal is, the more likely they are to get sick. Their immune systems start wearing down, and bones/joints are wearing down, just like they do in humans. If they are taken care of properly(proper food, cage, general maintenance) They should be fine for their youth years. Of course, anything cancerous can always pop up.
Best advice is to read through ALL the stickies on this forum, do a search if you can't find something, then ask again if you still have questions afterwards. There is a lot of great information here, and I spent the first month reading through every single thread on the forum and it really helps.