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Journalism of Courage
We all crave that mythic pill that eradicates wrinkles, diminishes the risk of heart attack and averts dementia while ensuring that we live to be 99. A hale, attractive, cheerful 99, that is.
Don8217;t bet your life on it.
Despite the constant promotion of products claimed to extend life and prolong vigor, nothing you can buy in a box, bottle or tube has been shown to extend anything other than your credit card balance.
8220;There are clearly no pills or potions that have yet been established to increase longevity and in fact for many of such pills and potions out there, there are real concerns about adverse effects,8221; said Richard Hodes, director of the National Institute on Aging NIA.
You know the things he8217;s talking about: growth hormone, testosterone, antioxidants and dietary supplements that it8217;s okay to admit it you8217;ve begun to consider trying as the signs of aging multiply. Alas, aging is still the fundamental fact of the life cycle. But we can, if we8217;re fortunate, exercise some control over the timing of our death and what our life is like until that day comes.
Hodes says studies have shown that about 25 per cent of how we age is determined by genetics; the other 75 per cent, by the environment.
Of course, the best life practices won8217;t prevent that proverbial bus from running you down this afternoon, or some cancer appearing on your liver in September. But if those things don8217;t intrude, there are a few key lifestyle choices you can make that science has connected with long and healthy tenure on this earth. If you feel you8217;ve heard some of them before, don8217;t blame us: Facts are stubborn things.
Exercise daily
Reams of research suggest regular physical activity retards bodily decline, though the precise mechanism remains a mystery.
Some good research connects aerobic capacity with living longer. A 2002 study in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at 6,213 men with and without coronary artery disease. It showed a 12 per cent improvement in survival for every unit of metabolic capacity increased through endurance training. Experts also know muscle strength and balance can help protect against falls and related injuries that can compromise independence and, in the very old, lead to death.
Refine your fuel
Fifty years ago, 10 per cent of Americans were obese. By 2000, it was 33 per cent. The increase translates into hundreds of thousands of deaths a year. Obesity is linked to Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and 20 per cent of cancers. The key to fighting obesity? Increase intake of fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains, dump the junk foods and sugary sodas, watch your body mass index and cut portion sizes. Of course, the most important factor in weight control is balancing calories in and calories out.
Stay connected
Don8217;t isolate yourself. Research has shown that the more connected you are to a community 8212; be that your family, synagogue or book group 8212; the longer you are likely to live. That makes sense given our evolution from social pack animals whose survival depended on being part of a group, said Robert Butler, professor of geriatrics at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York and president and CEO of the International Longevity Center.
Heart disease is just one of the health risks that8217;s reduced by spending more time with others. A 2004 study of 6,861 Swedish men and women in Social Science and Medicine found those who participated in the highest number of social activities reported fewer cases of coronary heart disease. Having a spouse counts, too. A 2003 study in Psychosomatic Medicine associated both being married and having an active social life with reduced risk of death.
Watch the alcohol
If you drink a lot, you8217;re reducing your odds for that longer and better life. But recently, research has demonstrated benefits, for many, of drinking just a little bit. Overall, moderate drinkers have been found to die later than non-drinker or heavy drinkers, and they develop less disability than the general population. The American Cancer Society, however, recommends restricting alcohol or abstaining, as even moderate drinking may increase the risk of cancers. For women, some 50 studies suggest alcohol consumption is tied to a higher risk of breast cancer.
Ditch the butts
If you8217;re still smoking despite all warnings, more finger-wagging probably won8217;t stop you. The following data won8217;t either, but here it is anyway: Tobacco use is the largest cause of premature death in the US and the largest cause of disability. Smoking causes 90 per cent of lung cancer cases and much of the cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus. It can also lead to sudden cardiac death, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, while increasing bone loss and osteoporosis. There8217;s also impotence, vision loss, a bad cough, icky teeth and lousy breath.
Challenge your brain
Ever thought about volunteering at a local school? Finally learning to speak Portuguese? Plowing all the way through 8220;Finnegan8217;s Wake8221;? A growing body of research suggests that keeping your brain engaged on challenging tasks appears to help stave off cognitive decline, dementia and Alzheimer8217;s disease. But after you challenge your brain, it8217;s important to go out and have fun. A 30-yr study published in 2003 in the Annals of Internal Medicine of 678 Catholic nuns, ages 75 to 107, found that those who regularly engaged in games and crosswords were more likely to remain mentally alert until death. Nuns who performed more menial tasks, such as housekeeping or kitchen work, did not tend to live as long.
Work with your doctor
Most of us are born with the genetic wherewithal to live to 85. The challenge is to prevent premature disease from taking us down before that. So it is a good idea to know which diseases you may have a higher risk for. Discuss this with your doctor and schedule the appropriate screening tests for them.
Be happy
Some research suggests that happy people live longer. In one study in Archives of General Psychiatry, researchers gauged the level of optimism and pessimism in 999 Dutch men and women aged 65 to 85, then followed them for nine years. The upshot? The optimists had one-quarter the risk of cardiac death. The higher their optimism, the more robust their protection.
Suz Redfearn
