It is remarkable that our personal decisions are actually the main precursor for death. This is what a study conducted by Professor Ralph L. Kenney of the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University demonstrates. The research examined the association that personal decisions had with premature death amidst Americans.
The analysis suggested that out of the 2.4 million deaths in 2000 an estimated one million was due to personal decisions. Thus, these deaths could have been avoided if other alternatives would have been opted for.
The implication of the study is that both our health and death rely on our own shoulders. Or we can simply say that lifestyle is more important than genetics.
Studies have shown that lifestyle is related to various chapters of human health. A study led by Dean Ornish, MD, of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California and involving researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, demonstrated that enhancement to one’s lifestyle induce positive gene expression in combating prostate cancer for men. This was published in an issue of the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, on the 17th of June, 2008.
The study was conducted over a period of three months. The participant involved had to restrict their intake of dietary fat to 10 percent of the daily consumption of calories. They also consumed plant-based and whole-food diets, together with daily walking exercise for 30 minutes per day for six days a week. One-hour stress management activities such as breathing, meditation, stretching, relaxation and imagery were added to the lifestyle program. Concurrently (before and after) through the study, cardiovascular disease risk factors were measured including indicators such as body mass index, weight, blood pressure, waist circumference, C-reactive protein and lipids.
The gene expression after three months of modified lifestyle was compared to earlier samples. It was found that forty-eight genes, together with several ones having disease-preventive effects had been boosted up. Another 453 genes, with some oncogenes associated to the cause of prostate, and breast cancer was reduced. Moreover, other factors such as blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference and lipids was highly enhanced. The change to lifestyle did also show a leveraged mental health for the participant. This proves that lifestyle is a leading factor for quality of life.
There are other studies that suggest that walking for only 10 minutes a day can significantly reduce the risk of cancer, and consuming nutrients such as resveratrol both stops and halts the inflammatory process in our entire immune system; inflammation is a cause of aging.
A positive lifestyle has the potential ability to influence genes in a constructive way. Simple things such as exercise, healthy diet, supplement and stress management can help to guide gene expression towards healthiness.
Constantly, it has been shown that the body can usually regenerate itself from degenerative conditions but only before it reaches a point of no-return.
A Healthy Lifestyle & Heart
The American Heart Association claimed that a total of 1.3 million coronary angioplasty operations were conducted in 2006. Each of these procedures had an average cost of $48.399 summing up to a total cost of $60 billion. Additionally, 448,000 coronary bypass operations with an average cost of $99,743 each was also conducted for the same year. The total expenditure on only these two operations exceeded $100 billion in 2006.
The massive cost of these operations is somehow not as necessary for prolonging life as expected according to a recent study. In the April 2007, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, a study found that angioplasties and stents did neither help to prolong life nor to avoid further heart attacks. The research suggested that coronary bypass surgery increases longevity of merely 3 percent of the patients conducted these health procedures.
It is thus, a fact that insurers as well as individuals are spending billions on medical procedures, which are expensive, dangerous, invasive and commonly ineffective.
In a large study conducted and published in September 2004, in The Lancet, involved 30,000 women and men across the world. The study found that adopting for a healthy lifestyle reduced the risk of heart disease by up to 90 percent.
In other words, the disease that is the main cause for early death and the surging medical bill in America can be prevented by altering diet habits and lifestyle. Besides, the lifestyle that will support you with a health heart will equally reverse other chronic illnesses.
Adherence to Safety Precautions
In America accidents is the 5th largest cause of death and more than 50 percent of those deaths are road-accidents. According to the Maximum life foundation, in 20 years accidents will become the leading cause of death if bio-medical science constantly progresses at its current rate. Some technological progress comes at a high price, and the automobile industry knows it very well.
Here are some guiding principles to reduce the risk of death on the road:
- Drive Only when you feel capable; Drunken and sleepy drivers are equally dangerous.
- Drive according to the driving conditions (weather)
- Regularly inspect brakes and tires.
- Take extra precautions in complicated junctions
- Adopt a defensive driving style, as commonly the other drivers will not be taking precautions.
In the list of accidents causing death, household accidents should also be taken into account. There exists an unfolding amount of prone accidental causes at home; sharp corners, slippery floors. Every year several deaths caused in the bathroom, by slips and falls, have been reported.
Other Household Precautions:
- Install a smoke detector
- Make sure there is a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
- Have all emergency numbers available near to the phone or mobile phone
- Read labels of household chemicals: Poisonous; flammable;
- Do not store chemicals near heat sources.
- Do not consume administrated drugs in a somber or dark room.
- Make sure there are no dangerous electric cabling issues.
- One person in a family should be first aid and/or CPR certified.
There are several deaths that happen simply due to downright stupidity and those should be avoided. Hectic and stressful behaviours should be circumvented, like changing lanes without taking precautions.
A vigilant lifestyle where one is aware of potential dangerous can significantly reduce the rate of accidents.
Coming Soon:
Read Part 2
Lifestyle: Environmental Factors Causing Premature Aging & Death
Read Part 3:
Lifestyle: Habits like Obesity and insufficient Sleep Causing Premature Aging & Death
Read Part 4
Lifestyle: Sociability and Financial factors Causing Premature Aging & Death Part 4/4
Summary of healthy attitudes: Seven Steps to Longevity; Recommendation From Maximum Life Foundation
Source: Maximum Life Foundation: David A. Kekich, CEO, Maximum Life Foundation
Mon, Aug 23, 2010
Health And Aging, Lifestyle