I attended a lecture this last summer (2013) with the name of this article at the Chautauqua Institute. It was presented by a representative of the LECOM Institute for Successful Aging. Living longer has become a common reality and with this phenomenon more interest is being generated for many reasons but of course the major one is money.
This lecture began with a simple concept: ‘Plan to age successfully and in doing so you add more years to your life and more life to your age’. Catchy right and to do these marvelous things one must understand his/her body. Wow, I wish I had thought of that!
So, it began with some statistics about aging and old people by noting that Florida, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania in that order have the oldest populations. Yes, now 13% of the US population is over 65 years of age and rapidly growing as a percentage.
Now came some interesting physiological facts on aging. I was not prepared for this list of bad things that come with aging. Okay let’s begin with the brain that is largest when we are 25 years of age but at age 60 we have 4 times more knowledge than we did when we were 20, what ever that means. On the other hand on average when a person reaches 80 years of age intelligence begins to decrease – oh boy that’s me! Let’s not forget that the number of our neurons in our brain decreases so we have less ability to remember and as no surprise our hearing is fading into the sunset. Foot vibration detection drops so we fall more easily. Unfortunately we all know that from experience!
Are you ready for the entire list of mounting physiologic and anatomic failures? Well here it comes: A reduction of functions includes, taste and smell (by 50%), production of saliva, thirst drive, stomach acid, gastric emptying. liver function, calcium absorption, cartilage in our joints, lung function (50% by 80) and size, muscle strength (back and arms) at age 65, heart function, kidney function (10% each decade beginning at age 40) which include decrease in size and blood flow, thyroid function, sex hormones, ovarian function, blood cell production, skin elasticity, sweating, detection of temperature change, immune ability and finally wound healing – WOW!!!!
But all is not lost some things do increase: Constipation, acid in our esophagus (GERD), heart size and blood pressure.
Of Course, with these reductions in organ functions there are consequences such as: taste and smell means our appetite is reduced so we lose weight; thirst drive means we are more prone to dehydration that can be serious in hot weather; stomach acid means digestive problems; calcium absorption results in weaker bones; lung function causes less ability to exercise; heart and kidney functions results are obvious; blood cell production results in anemia; sweating and detection of temperature change can be serious in hot weather resulting in heat stroke; skin elasticity results in more torn skin; immune ability means easier to get sick; and of course wound healing speaks for itself.
And, like the experts said at the beginning our the lecture all of these reduced functions in our organs are the cause of us aging and eventually dying. Simply like an old car we are wearing out. So, like restoring some antique car with new parts, it looks like in the future as studies on mice suggest that it will be possible to ‘artificial organs’ with our aging stem cells. Now the concept of replacing aging or damaged tissues with stem cells is not new and this could be applied to us old people. The big problem with this concept is that stem cells age too so when we get old our stem cells are worn out and therefore can not restore function. Scientists have gotten around this problem by introducing factors that once again renew old stem cells to where they can function once again and make organs!
But today it was noted that there are simple methods to slow down the aging process of these organs. How so? Avoid disease, now that makes sense. Increase our mental and physical activities, better lifestyle factors (what ever that means), good nutrition, healthy habits including self-care, engage in life with new experiences, good relationships with friends, and engage in productive activities such as life long learning and volunteer work.
Certainly life long learning or Adult Learning in Retirement is without a doubt a very good one for it includes not only exercising the brain but promotes good relationships with friends you share these learning experiences. Just the physical activity of going to these classes results in some form of exercise. So, there is no surprise that I have written a BLOG on such a title.
Now our brain which is our most important organ if we want good quality of life has its own prescriptions. Certainly, a person without good mental function is not enjoying life. Well we can help our brain grow old with dignity by: eating healthy, getting lots of sleep, relax more, increase physical activity, increase activities that ward off depression, less alcohol consumption (I don’t like this one) and write more such as your memoirs or a journal o life. Hey, how about writing a monthly BLOG on old people?
After this lecture I was not in a good mood because it looked like 80 years of age was the ‘breaking point’ and I am 81 +. Well, like I wrote in this BLOG on Actuary Tables when it comes down to individuals like you and me, they don’t mean a damn thing.
Well, that is the trouble with lectures like these, in that they lump people together. Many people are productive long into their 90s and live to be 100 or longer. Remember the great heart surgeon in Texas (Houston, I think) who was doing serious open heart surgeries when he was well into his 90s. I can’t remember his name now but it will come to me - sometime. Yes, it was Dr. Michael Debakey. Okay, I had to look it up on Wikipedia, but I had to know enough of it in order to do so. Hey my brain is still functioning – well kind of.
Certainly, one major reason Dr. Debakey continued to do all of these things was because he never stopped doing all of those things. You know, he kept busy. I do believe and I have read someplace that retirement is a possible death sentence if we don’t continue to function as noted previously in this article. You know ‘use it or lose it’.
Well, this is the old rusty nail signing off with another article for old people but with the wonderful thought of ‘successful aging’. I guess the proof of the pudding is what is meant by ‘successful aging’.
Keep in mind that I can be reached at: burton.russell@att.net. But please remember, when you do let me know who you are by mentioning the ‘Old Rusty Nail’. If not, your message will be deleted.
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