Lowering the seat to get an upright position would make for unhappy legs. An adjustable or high-rise stem is better.
One of the benefits of modern bikes is that with integrated shifters, you don't have to take your hand off the bar to shift,
arguably making the ride more stable and secure, especially in traffic.
The older active folks that I'm around don't talk about their age
you have to pry it out of them, or see it on the double century finishing roster etc. that they are well into their 70s.