Living longer is a goal for all. Now it’s a reality for many.

But Not Everyone Is Living Healthier!

Guest Column: Dr N Prabhudev

Bengaluru Express
Bengaluru, May 19: Life expectancy is increasing by five hours a day, every day.
The UN declared 2021–30 as the Decade of Healthy Ageing with an aim to improve the health and wellbeing of older people. Living better is just as important as living longer. Healthy longevity should not be a privilege for the few but a reality for all. The time to act is now. Old age is perplexing to imagine in part because the definition of it is notoriously unstable.
Living Longer, Dying Shorter! 70 percent of physical aging is determined by lifestyle and the choices we make every day. “Compression of morbidity”- if we optimize healthy lifestyles, we can “live longer and die shorter,” i.e., condense the decline period into the very end of a fulfilling, active old age.
We’re all getting older – and increasingly living longer. But a fifth of our lifespans on average will be affected by illness. Medical costs are a big worry. Focus More on preventing ill health, rather than treating it at the end! We all want to work, but face barriers in finding opportunities. Government should evolve “beyond traditional retirement ages’ ‘policies!
The benefits of longevity aren’t felt equally by everyone. There are inequalities in income, wealth and well-being. People are reaching traditional retirement ages with many years of expected life remaining and their functional capacity largely intact. People are enjoying increasingly long lifespans as well as longer health spans!
Humans have long tried to cheat death or Postpone It for ‘A Little While Longer’! There are a few things you can do to up your odds of living to old age in a great state of health and mind—and increase your lifespan by a whopping 14 years.
• Don’t Smoke – Smoking remains one of the biggest risk factors for early death.
• Regular Exercise is the second most influential factor in biological aging and your risk of death. Daily Walks- Ten thousand steps a day could Help You Live over a Decade Longer!
• Eat with heart in mind!
• Sleep is fourth factor related to biological aging.
• Monitor your waist size! Women – a waist measurement of less than 31.5”! Men- less than 37 inches. visceral fat promotes inflammation, triggers insulin resistance and is a major factor for aging,
• Proactive Aging – monitoring and managing chronic conditions before they lead to severe health issues
Doctors prescribe medicines of which they know little, to cure diseases of which they know less, in human beings of whom they know nothing- Voltaire’!
Important! – We do business in the name of medical practice! But we are still the kindest among all professions! Doctors as living Gods are extinct! In fact we are struggling to be human! Medicine today values intervention far more than it values care. Ageing is the single largest cause of human suffering. If you add it all up, of the 150,000 deaths that happen every day on Earth, over 100,000 of them are caused by ageing!
The pride of youth is in strength and beauty. The pride of old age is in love, discretion and compassion. A comfortable old age is the reward of a well-spent youth.
Youth is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees! Youth is not defined by age. It is a state of mind! Don’t mourn growing old, it’s a privilege denied to many. Nobody ages like anybody else. Old people are just regular people who happen to be just older. Negative depictions of old are usually done by the young. Ignore them!
Exercise every day – If you have no time for exercise – find time for Illness! We are what we eat! Don’t get older! Get better! Make healthy choices! Move More, Sit Less throughout the Day! Know your risk factors for Diabetes, HBP, heart disease and cancer!
Getting enough sleep helps you stay healthy and alert. Even though older adults need the same seven to nine hours of sleep as all adults, they often don’t get enough. Stress is a natural part of life and comes in many forms. Constant stress can change the brain, affect memory, and increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s or related dementias. Manage stress with meditation techniques, physical activity, and by participating in activities you enjoy.
Why do some people enjoy good health while others age far before their time? Biological aging is multifaceted – a complex mix of genetic traits and is influenced by factors like micro-biome composition, environment, lifestyle, stress, diet, and exercise. In fact, genes probably account for only 20% to 30% of biological age. This suggests that other parameters can strongly influence biological aging! Similarly, diet and exercise are strong influencers of biological age. Social connectedness is essential for well-being throughout life!
Telomeres, which shorten with each cell division, help determine how fast your cells age and when they die, depending on how quickly they wear down. Your cellular health is reflected in the well-being of your mind, body, and community.
Over the past 50 years, our way of life has changed more than in the previous ten thousand years. Aging is universal, yet it’s deeply personal. Contentment and happiness are just as valuable in older age as they are in the earlier years of life.
Remember, the foundation of longevity is laid in the daily choices you make.
To The young – We’re just like you—only more experienced!