Research pinpoints actions to improve
health
March 13, 2005
It's not too late. The tricks for a long, healthy
life -- don't smoke, eat right and exercise -- are well-known.
But putting that into practice often seems so daunting
that people don't even try, and by their 50s, many baby
boomers figure that the damage has been done anyway.
Researchers and doctors increasingly agree, however,
that even modest changes in middle age and later can
have a dramatic impact on health and longevity -- that
people over 50 can benefit from what effectively amounts
to a tuneup. A recent study funded by the National Institutes
of Health, for example, showed that participants, who
had a mean age of 51 and were at high risk of developing
diabetes, were able to slash their risk by half through
modest weight loss and exercise.
What follows is an effort to cut through the often-conflicting
advice and come up with a list of relatively simple,
concrete actions that people can undertake in middle
age to help live a longer, healthier life. The advice
is based on the growing body of research in this area,
and on interviews with doctors, government officials
and academics who specialize in it. They are in addition
to the basic screenings that everyone over 50 should
undergo -- regular cholesterol tests and colon-cancer
screening, for example.
Eat your spinach: Among all the research on
fruits and vegetables, the evidence appears to be greatest
for the benefits of green, leafy vegetables. Even far
fewer servings than the government recommends can make
a difference.
Research suggests that such vegetables can prevent age-related
diseases, and even preserve cognitive function. A Harvard
Medical School study released last summer found that
women who ate eight servings or more a week of green,
leafy vegetables such as spinach and romaine lettuce
had the cognitive function of someone 1.7 years younger
than women who ate three servings or fewer of the vegetables
a week.
Scientists think that the reason fruits and vegetables
are so beneficial is that they are high in antioxidants,
substances that protect tissues from degrading. The
government's recommendation for people to eat five to
13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day can seem
pretty unattainable, but doctors say people will get
benefits even from much lower amounts.
Boost your B12, and D: A variety of
vitamins, minerals and nutrients are important for overall
health, but we have particular trouble metabolizing
B12 and D as we age. And many nutrition experts say
boomers should take them in supplement form to avoid
deficiencies.
A B12 deficiency can cause anemia and has also been
linked to neurological problems. In a study published
in the journal Neurology in 2001, those with low levels
of B12 and folate (another B vitamin) had double the
risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Food sources
for B12 include fish, eggs and milk and some fortified
cereals. But Harvard's Dr. Willett says the form of
B12 in a multivitamin is better absorbed than that from
food. Be sure the brand you choose has 2.4 micrograms
per day.
Floss your teeth: Everyone knows dental
hygiene is important for healthy teeth. But it is also
important for your heart. A growing body of research
shows a link between periodontal disease and stroke
and heart disease.
In a study published last year in the journal Stroke,
for example, those with severe periodontal disease (gum
disease) had a 4.3 times greater risk of stroke than
those with either mild or no periodontal disease. Scientists
believe that infection in the mouth increases level
of inflammation in the blood, which can help create
blood clots that lead to strokes and heart attacks.
Periodontal disease is most common in those older than
50.
The best prevention for periodontal disease is to brush
and floss at least once a day and see a dentist for
cleanings every six months, says Sally Cram, a periodontist
in Washington, D.C., and a spokeswoman for the American
Dental Association. It can be treated with intense cleanings
and antibiotics.
Analyze your sleep: Increasingly, doctors
are concerned that sleep apnea, a condition where people
periodically stop breathing during sleep, leads to more
than just some annoying snoring. In the past few years,
research has linked it to high blood pressure, stroke
and diabetes. Sleep apnea becomes more common during
the late 40s and early 50s.
With age, muscle tone in the mouth diminishes, the tongue
falls back to cover the windpipe more easily and the
soft palate is looser. About one in five adults has
at least mild sleep apnea, according to a 2003 article
published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Data published last year from the large Sleep Heart
Health Study showed that even participants with mild
sleep apnea had an increased incidence of glucose intolerance
and insulin resistance, conditions that lead to diabetes.
Pump iron: The benefits of strength
training to maintain muscle as we age are well-documented.
But it is increasingly clear that strength training
has benefits for the heart as well, and one new effort
has boiled training down to simple exercises that you
can do in the home or office.
Strength training -- or resistance training -- involves
controlled exercise using weights or the force of gravity
to strengthen muscles. Muscle mass begins to decrease
by about 5 percent per decade after the age of 40, so
strength training is vital to prevent a host of problems.
But new research also shows that strength training has
surprising benefits for the heart, reducing levels of
homocysteine, a blood marker that can indicate risk
for heart attacks and strokes.
Walk the dog: Aerobic exercise not
only reduces blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular
disease, but it also helps preserve cognitive function.
A study published last year in JAMA showed that women
aged 70 to 81 years old who were most active experienced
less cognitive decline that women who were less active.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends
at least 30 minutes of moderate activity most days of
the week.
Kiss your spouse, and call your college rooomate:
Middle age is a time when relationships can be rocky
as people deal with empty nests, elderly parents and
their own looming retirement, according to psychiatrists.
So it can be particularly valuable to maintain strong
relationships and an active sex life, which research
has shown to have benefits for health and longevity.
"The decade between 50 and 60 is a period of major
turbulence," says Arthur L. Kovacs, a psychologist
in Santa Monica, Calif. "Death becomes a more constant
companion and this leads to a kind of stocktaking.".
Friendships are important, too. A study published in
Lancet that followed 1,200 people in Stockholm, Sweden,
for three years, showed that those with a limited social
network had a 60 percent increased risk of developing
dementia.
Check your skin: The risk of skin cancer soars
during midlife, but new techniques are making it possible
to diagnose skin cancer earlier and treat patients with
less pain and scarring.
The average age of onset of melanoma, the most deadly
form, is 50. The average age of onset for other skin
cancers is 60, says Andrew J. Kaufman, assistant clinical
professor of medicine at the University of California,
Los Angeles.
One new technique, dubbed dermascopy, uses a magnifying
instrument and an oil placed on the skin that allows
light to penetrate the skin's surface. The American
Cancer Society recommends that everyone 40 and older
get a yearly body check from a doctor.
Brush up on French verbs: Or play the
cello. Or go dancing. There is now strong evidence to
support the common-sense belief that stimulating activities
can help us stay mentally sharp as we age.
The ability to act on new information, to multitask
and to retrieve information from memory all gradually
decline beginning in one's 20s. But it becomes more
noticeable after the age of 40, says Molly V. Wagster,
program director of the neuropsychology of aging branch
at the National Institute on Aging.
In a 2003 study published in the New England Journal
of Medicine, those who most frequently read, played
board games, played musical instruments or danced had
a 63 percent reduction in the risk of dementia.
Get screened for depression: There are specific
risk factors for depression at midlife, say mental-health
experts, and the signs aren't always easy to spot, particularly
in men.
The good news is that the risk of depression overall
goes down after you hit 40. The dark cloud is that,
for men, suicide rates rise after 40. Women also face
a slight increased risk of suicide around menopause,
says Douglas G. Jacobs, associate clinical professor
of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "Any time
you have hormonal changes, it is going to affect mood,"
Dr. Jacobs says.
Symptoms of depression include difficulty sleeping,
weight change and feelings of worthlessness.
Source:www.southcoasttoday.com
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