Age markers & New Research
Many of us have been with diverse age groups over the holidays (infants, kids, teens, young parents, middle-agers, empty-nesters, grandparents, seniors, and the aged). Did you notice anything interesting about their health?
In my healthcare practice I see hundreds of people every week, some sick, some healthy, from all walks of life, nationalities and diverse age groups. When I added them up, I was amazed that the total came up to over 250,000 individuals so far in my health practice!
Today, I’d like to share some general observations that I am seeing here locally (age related markers, challenges and longevity). Hopefully you’ll see some uplifting data, along with some helpful insights that can make a difference for you and your loved ones to increase your “Health-span” 🤩
Before we get started, I hope you found last week’s newsletter “‘Make this Year c-o-u-n-t” helpful. If you missed it, you can use this link, Here.
Okay, let’s see how you stack up to current trends!
🥳 🎄 🍓 🎄 🍌 🎄 🥳
Perhaps the greatest human accomplishment of the past century was the remarkable increase in life expectancy!
The US life expectancy went from 47 to 78 years old; that’s a 31 year improvement!
At first, this increasing length of life resulted from declines in infectious disease and childhood deaths. After most deaths from infectious conditions were eliminated, cardiovascular conditions and cancer have dominated the causes of death.
Statistically, 50% of males born today will survive to 78 years and 50% of females will survive to age 83 years. This means that now most people will live to old age; and once they reach old age, they will live longer than they used to.
But shockingly, the prevalence of people with chronic debilitating diseases such as Alzheimers, diabetes, heart disease and stroke has increased exponentially!
What I’m seeing today…..
Research is telling us that in order for us to increase our healthy lifespan and increase our life expectancy, dramatic changes are needed at younger ages, not just interventions after adulthood or at the end of life.
What do I mean by dramatic changes?
To improve our healthy lives, we need to concentrate on our health as early as possible so that we can focus on slowing and delaying the aging process.
We need to focus on prolonging health to keep people healthy, not just treat people with disease.
We now know that a number of health outcomes linked to age have very similar risk factors. There are markers that indicate where we are on the pathway to aging and we need to try to delay the aging process as much as possible.
What are the aging markers?
With age, bones tend to shrink in size and density, muscles generally lose strength, plus a person’s endurance and flexibility diminishes.
Aging involves a great deal of interplay between lifestyle and genetics. The development of aging is the accumulation of damage (at the cellular level) throughout our lifespan.
Changes occur with aging in all organ systems. Cardiac output decreases, blood pressure increases and arteriosclerosis develops. The lungs show impaired gas exchange, a decrease in vital capacity and slower expiratory flow rates. You can read more, here.
The good news?
An individual who maintains a healthy lifestyle and enters into late adulthood with a clean bill of health will experience a vastly different aging process than someone who is sedentary, makes poor diet and lifestyle choices, and has lived with chronic disease before and upon entry into late adulthood.
THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH AND DISABILITY
and Leading Drivers of the Nation’s $4.1 Trillion in Annual Health Care Costs
Actions your family and friends can do to extend their “Health-span”
You know that aging will likely cause wrinkles and gray hair. But do you know how aging will affect your heart, muscles and brain power? Find out what changes you can incorporate to promote living a long and healthy life well into your golden years 🤩
The number of health outcomes linked to age have very similar risk factors. They are all rooted in the markers that indicate where we are on the pathway to aging. Below are the factors most important the aging process:
Your cardiovascular system:
The most common change in the cardiovascular system is stiffening of the blood vessels and arteries, causing your heart to work harder to pump blood through them. The heart muscles change to adjust to the increased workload. Your heart rate at rest will stay about the same, but it won't increase during activities as much as it used to. These changes increase the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension) and other cardiovascular problems.
What you can do to promote heart health:
Include physical activity in your daily routine. Try walking, swimming or other activities you enjoy. Regular moderate physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your heart disease risk.
Eat a healthy diet. Choose vegetables, fruits, whole-foods, high-fiber foods and lean sources of protein, such as fish.
Don't smoke. Smoking contributes to the hardening of your arteries and increases your blood pressure and heart rate. If you smoke or use other tobacco products, ask for help to quit.
Manage stress. Stress can take a toll on your heart. Take steps to reduce stress, such as meditation, exercise or talk therapy.
Get enough sleep. Quality sleep plays an important role in the healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels. Aim for seven to nine hours a night.
Your bones, joints and muscle mass:
Muscle atrophy is the loss or thinning of your muscle tissue. If you have atrophied muscles, you’ll see a decrease in your muscle mass and strength. With muscle atrophy, your muscles look smaller than normal. Muscle atrophy can occur due to malnutrition, age, and a lack of physical activity. Physiologic atrophy occurs when you don’t use your muscles enough.
The symptoms of muscle atrophy differ depending on the cause. The most obvious sign of muscle atrophy is reduced muscle mass. Other signs of muscle atrophy may include:
One arm or one leg is smaller than the other.
Weakness in one arm and or one leg.
Numbness or tingling in the arms and legs.
Trouble walking or balancing.
Difficulty swallowing or speaking.
Gradual memory loss.
The cause of muscle atrophy depends on the type you have. Physiologic atrophy is caused by not using your muscles enough. If you stop using your muscles, your body won’t waste the energy it needs to take care of them. Instead, your body will start to break your muscles down, which causes them to decrease in size and strength. Disuse atrophy may affect you if you:
Lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Are malnourished.
Don’t get enough exercise.
Sit at a desk job all day.
Are on best rest.
The amount of time it takes for your muscles to atrophy depends on your age, fitness level and cause of atrophy. If your muscle atrophy is due to not using your muscles enough, the process can start within two to three weeks of not using them.
The good news? Physiologic atrophy can be reversed with exercise and a healthy diet.
The amount of time it takes to regain muscle after atrophy depends on the type of atrophy and how severe your condition was. Physiologic atrophy is usually reversible, but it won’t happen overnight. You can recover from muscle atrophy by exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet. You may start seeing improvement after a few months, but it may take much longer for you to fully recover your strength.
With age, bones tend to shrink in size and density, weakening them and making them more susceptible to fracture. You might even become a bit shorter. Muscles generally lose strength, endurance and flexibility — factors that can affect your coordination, stability and balance.
Your digestive system:
Structural changes in the large intestine can result in digestive issues. Other contributing factors include a lack of exercise, not drinking enough fluids and a low-fiber diet. Medications can also contribute to digestive issues.
The key is to talk with your doctor about recommendations specific to your body to help keep your digestive system healthy and in good working order.
Your memory and thinking skills:
Your brain undergoes changes as you age that can effect your memory or thinking skills. For example, forgetting familiar names or words, or finding it more difficult to multitask.
What you can do to promote cognitive health:
Include physical activity in your daily routine. Physical activity increases blood flow to your whole body, including the brain. This remains extremely important throughout your lifespan! Studies suggest regular exercise is associated with better brain function, reduced stress and depression — factors that affect memory.
Eat a healthy diet. A heart-healthy diet will benefit your brain. Focus on fruits, vegetables and whole-foods. Choose low-fat protein sources, such as fish, lean meat and skinless poultry. Too much alcohol can lead to confusion and memory loss.
Stay mentally active. Staying mentally active can help sustain your memory and thinking skills. You can read, play word games, take up a new hobby, take classes, or learn to play an instrument.
Be social. Social interaction helps ward off depression and stress, which can contribute to memory loss. You might volunteer at a local school or nonprofit, spend time with family and friends, or attend social events.
Treat cardiovascular disease. See me (your doctor) for recommendations to manage your cardiovascular risk factors — high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes — that may increase the risk of cognitive decline.
Quit smoking. If you smoke, quit smoking to help your cognitive health.
Are you recognizing any similar and repeat actions here that you can incorporate for your long healthy life????
THE BOTTOM LINE
“Consistency is more important than perfection.”
“Creating an overall healthy lifestyle for yourself doesn’t require a radical diet or significant life change. In fact, it can be attained through common sense decisions about the way we eat, move, and live.”
“We do not stop exercising because we grow old – we grow old because we stop exercising.”
You can't completely stop the aging process, but we can certainly make choices that improve our ability to maintain a healthy life, to do the things you enjoy, and to spend time with loved ones.
The number of health outcomes linked to age have very similar risk factors. Below are the factors most important the aging process:
Your cardiovascular system - stiffening of the blood vessels and arteries, causing your heart to work harder to pump blood through them, increasing the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension) and other cardiovascular problems.
Your bones, joints and muscle mass - bones tend to shrink in size and density, weakening them and making them more susceptible to fracture. You might even become a bit shorter. Muscles generally lose strength, endurance and flexibility.
Your digestive system - structural changes in the large intestine can result in digestive issues, plus a lack of exercise, not drinking enough fluids and a low-fiber diet. Medications can also contribute to digestive issues.
Your memory and thinking skills - forgetting familiar names or words, or finding it more difficult to multitask.
These changes have important practical implications. Metabolism is altered, and preventive dietary and exercise programs are needed in an effort to delay or reverse these aging markers.
Include physical activity in your daily routine. Try walking, swimming or other activities you enjoy. Regular moderate physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your heart disease risk.
Eat a healthy diet. Choose vegetables, fruits, whole-foods, high-fiber foods and lean sources of protein, such as fish.
Don't smoke. Smoking contributes to the hardening of your arteries and increases your blood pressure and heart rate. If you smoke or use other tobacco products, ask for help to quit.
Manage stress. Stress can take a toll on your heart. Take steps to reduce stress, such as meditation, exercise or talk therapy.
Get enough sleep. Quality sleep plays an important role in the healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels. Aim for seven to nine hours a night.
These Lifestyle tips can alter your aging process! 🤩 Spread the good news!
Make an appointment and come talk with us if you are having doubts or questions about your family’s health. We will give you the honest truth, and the clinical research that supports it.
To make an appointment with me use this link: HERE.
Or, you can always give me a call at (973) 210-3838
I want to hear from you! Have you recognized any family age related issues that may be of concern for your personal longer health? Did you find this newsletter helpful?
Share your thoughts in the comments on our
We bring tools such as these to you, our patients, by using proven cutting-edge therapies to extend the health-span, life-span and years of health for everyone (no matter their age)!
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