It's Not Your Life Span You Need To Worry About. It's Your Health Span.

We live much longer than our ancestors, but is it always better?

While many people live to be 60 or older, many of us spend a significant portion of our lives (sometimes a decade or more) with physical and mental health problems that make it difficult to perform the tasks of daily living. elevators

Improving the quality of our twilight years is a growing area of ​​research among biologists and other longevity researchers who strive to increase our number of disease-free years, a concept formally known as the healthy range.

The term first appeared in medical journals more than 30 years ago and was loosely defined as disease-free years, but the concept has become more common among doctors and patients and its definition has expanded to focus more on disease-free years. health. This will seriously disrupt daily activities. For example, treating high blood pressure, stroke, or dementia won't significantly affect health over time, says Sharon Inouye, a physician and scientist at Harvard Medical School who focuses on issues related to aging.

( Can aging be cured? Scientists are trying.)

The goals of researchers like Inouye are many: understand the mechanisms behind aging, work to identify genes that promote health, and focus on the steps we can take in our daily lives to improve our longevity with good health.

Genetic lessons from our oldest centenarians

Even if we live a long time, it is certainly possible to live in good health.

Nir Barzilai says we can learn a lot by examining the health and longevity of the centenarians he works with at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York. In academic parlance, the healthy participants in their study are called pathological psychologists: they are sick for a very small part of their lives.

"Not only do they live longer, but they are also healthier, getting sick 50 years later than their friends and 30 years later than their children's friends. »

But how to get there?

Part of the luck of these centenarians comes from their enviable genetics. Studying their genetics is puzzling, he says, because identifying genes linked to age-related disorders could lead to drugs that mimic the effects of those unlucky in the genetic lottery.

Barzilai's research focused specifically on genes that help our "good" cholesterol stay healthy in several ways. He says participants in his century-long study were more likely to have a specific variant of the CETP gene that regulates cholesterol, and these patients tended to live longer with better brain function.

Mimicking the effect of this gene is now the goal of ongoing research. With these drugs in our arsenal going forward, Barzilai says, people can improve their health over time, especially if they follow current recommendations for changes in diet, exercise, and social interactions.

Lifestyle Tips to Live Longer

In general, the latest health advances depend on your perspective, says Inouye, who also directs the Center for the Aging Brain at the Jewish Foundation for Senior Living, a Harvard-affiliated nonprofit.

"If you talk to a longevity researcher, they will tell you about the latest drugs being studied to prolong life; most of them are currently used in animal or non-human models," he says. "For me, the most important work is the importance of disease prevention and focusing on health.

Inoue says it is important to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in carbohydrates, as well as engaging in activities such as mental activity and social volunteering, exercising regularly and bodybuilding, and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Recent research in JAMA Internal Medicine , of which Inoue is editor-in-chief, shows that diet, exercise, brain games, and other measures can significantly help protect brain health.

Good sleep is also essential, although it's something you have to constantly work on, adds gerontologist Matt Kaeberlein, formerly of the University of Washington and now CEO of Seattle-based biotech OptiSpan. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lack of sleep increases the risk of many diseases, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, poor mental health, and even premature death.

( How are scientists unlocking the science of sleep ?)

The outlines of a healthy diet are well-researched, but different strategies may work better for some people, Kaeberlein adds. Whether it's the Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, or approaches like intermittent fasting or the low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet, you should always focus on what works for you, Kaeberlein explains. .

What are longevity researchers doing?

Not all scientists involved in modern research on the biology of aging make the same lifestyle decisions, and some even make personal decisions that go beyond FDA approval, which may contain some unknowns. risk

Barzilai, 68,'s health regimen includes daily exercise, intermittent fasting, good sleep, staying socially active and taking metformin, a widely recommended diabetes medication that some researchers say reduces age-related diseases. In animals, the drug appears to work in part by improving the body's response to insulin, with indirect effects on cellular aging and combating cognitive decline. Barzilai says he takes the drug off-label because the FDA has not approved it specifically to treat aging.

( Can Fasting Help You Live Longer? Here's What Science Says .)

Kaeberlein, who is in his 50s, turned to another unlicensed drug, an immunosuppressant called rapamycin, originally approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for organ transplant patients. When given at low doses, it essentially tricks cells into rejecting growth-promoting signals and promoting stress resistance, which then appears to halt or reverse cognitive and functional decline in animals, Kaeberlein says. His research as co-director of the Canine Long-Term Aging Project and other work in animals suggests this is promising: In mice, for example, the drug can extend lifespan by up to 60 percent.

But results obtained in mice are often not reproducible in humans. Additionally, because these drugs have not yet been approved for long-term use in humans, data on possible long-term side effects in healthy people is still unknown.

People should weigh the risks and benefits of taking any medication and consult with their doctor to determine what makes sense for them, Kaeberlein says.

Get to know us better

Beyond experimental pharmacological approaches, Kaeberlein says much of the progress in this field can only come from better self-monitoring, including basic health data on vitamin deficiencies, hormones, and blood sugar levels, among other factors.

Asking your doctors to measure these key indicators when you're in your 30s and 40s can better tell you what steps to take later in life and let you know if urgent intervention is needed, Kaeberlein says, while noting that these tests are often covered by medical care. sure. Covered with complementary pieces.

He cautions that it's not a good idea to simply take a daily multivitamin to correct an unknown vitamin deficiency, or to correct an unknown vitamin deficiency, because that doesn't let people know whether they actually have it, a deficiency, or not. . and if they do, the multivitamin may not contain it. Many nutritional supplements are appropriately dosed to meet the specific needs of the individual.

( Not everyone should take multivitamins . )

 Make friends and relax

Another key to improving your health is connecting with others and with yourself. Even if you have regular contact with at least one person you live with, such as your spouse, relationships and other social experiences are still important as we age.

"Right now, without any medication, we can increase our physical activity, our diet, our sleep and our social interactions. These are the four things anyone can do," Barzilai says.

According to the National Institute on Aging, activities like joining a walking group or joining a group that focuses on hobbies we already enjoy can make us healthier. Surprisingly, the physical and mental health benefits are countless and may include reducing the risk of dementia, heart disease, and stroke.

When we are outdoors, even just walking our dog (assuming we avoid falling), it also adds joy and exercise. Volunteering, teaching, or other meaningful activities that keep our brain active and involve social interactions can also be personally rewarding and are associated with better memory and reduced stress.

( Do pets make people happier and healthier ?)

 "Even if you're struggling in your personal relationships, you can also focus on inner peace and well-being," says Kaeberlein. He says some people find meditation and mindfulness practices very effective, even if there is no interpersonal connection.

He said that those who have a great mental base should try to make friends. "I'm trying to work on it," he says, "and I think it takes effort from some people who have neglected it in life." "There is much to gain by rebuilding these relationships. »

It's not your job to force people to like you. 🤍