Americans are living longer, nowadays yet more of them are suffering from diabetes and chronic disease which are hampering lifespan growth. In America, around 133 million adults, which represent almost 50 percent of the adult population, do suffer from diseases according to CDC (Center For disease Control and Prevention).
Aging is not simultaneous to an impaired and feeble lifestyle. Experts in life extension and aging say that this negative connotation to aging need not be the case. Adults in their 60s and 70s can counteract against possible vulnerability to chronic diseases and illnesses.
The old Myth, saying that people at their 60s or 70s can no longer fight against aging is no longer valid according to a public health advisor for the CDC’s healthy aging program, Margaret Moore. On the contrary, there is lot of things that can be done to enhance our body mechanisms.
Some Preventive actions
1. “Exercise”
2. Stretching
3. Disease Screening
When people grow old, there are some disabilities that come along. However, it is not necessarily synonymous to diseases.
Statistics are Fearful
Statistics prove that in America, adults of aged 65 and above are increasingly suffering from chronic illnesses. According to CDC, older adults suffering from diabetes has from 1984 doubled from 9.9 percent to 18.4 percent in 2006-2008. For the same period, the number of people living with heart disease has gone from 16.4 percent to 31.6 percent. Yet, it is possible that the rise can be due to improvement in detection technology to spot these very illnesses.
Chronic disease seems to be highly associated with obesity, a factor for cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Considering the age group 65 to 74, in 1960s to 2003-2006, the level of overweight men has risen from 10.4 to 33 percent. For women, in the same period it has augmented from 23.2 % to 36.4 %.
The obesity epidemic is according to CDC, affecting around 60 percent of the population and need to be addressed.
The Prime Solution: Exercise
Experts say that exercise can steer chronic disease away from the agenda of old age. For instance, Carmel B. Dyer, a geriatrician and director of the Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine at the University Of Texas Medical School at Houston, proclaims having known patient who started doing exercising at 70+ and the result was radical.
Importance of “Exercise”
Doing regular exercise can help one to control weight, muscle strength and blood pressure which reinforces one against illnesses. Dyer also said that exercise help to improve our metabolism. This will turn our body younger and stronger.
It has also been shown that physical activities reduce the risk of dementia. Moreover, controlling weight through exercising decreases the risk of diabetes, which is already inflicting 23.3 million Americans according to CDC.
Introduce Exercise for the Above 65s
Older people must refrain from rigorous exercise. They need to engage in soft activities like gardening, walking and any other activity, which keeps them active.
A healthy weight according to Dyer is not necessarily that of your 20’s. Exercising should be done to avoid obesity but not to make you too thin. At old age, some reserve is needed. T
As people grow old, they lose flexibility; here stretching plays a primordial role. It makes your muscle more active and soft, through activities like yoga. For old age, 5 minutes exercise in the morning can do much more than you expected.
Now Stay Alert; Preventive Actions
The risk of disease is higher at old age. Therefore, yearly checks should be conducted to screen for possible cancers. It is only around 40 percent of adults above the age of 65 who conducted these screening tests, which is insignificant, according to CDC.
All variants for diseases must be regularly monitored such as blood pressure and diabetes to avoid them to provoke disabilities at a later stage in life. Moore says that although you might not be able to avoid a particular disease you might be able to avoid the disability that can emerge from not treating the disease identified.
Avoid Arthritis
In America, 46 million citizens suffer from arthritis, where half of these cases are individuals of age 65 or above. The main way to prevent this pathology is to comprehend the disease and to stay physically active.
It has been found that social life such as churchgoing, and general straws for sunny outlook can increase life expectancy. A study conducted in 2006 found that frequent church attendance increase lifespan by 1.8 to 3.1 year. The precise factor for the extension of life is uncertain according to scientists. Dyer, say that spiritual activities like mediation decreases the level of stress and this might be the ruling factor, explaining why churchgoing increases lifespan.
Be an Optimist And You live Longer
Many other studies suggest that people, who are optimistic, live longer. They are also less prone to heart disease and chronic conditions.
A study conducted 2004 or 1,000 men and women found that people who considered themselves as being an optimist had 55 percent overall lower risk of death and had 23 percent less risk to die from heart disease compared to pessimistic people.
Another study, conducted on 97, 000 postmenopausal women, found that optimistic women had a 14 percent lower risk of suffering from dying causes and a 9 percent lesser risk to suffer from heart failure compared to pessimistic people.
Dyer, says that optimism induce a positive attitude and therefore happiness. These factors have, “across various studies been proved to be beneficial for longevity”.
Source: Live science
Anti Aging, Gerontology, Health And Aging, Lifestyle, Longevity
Mon, Mar 15, 2010
Anti Aging, Gerontology, Health And Aging, Lifestyle, Longevity