Aging Successfully
Number: 00S05. Issue: Spring 2000
Author[s]:
Nahal Rose Lalefar and Janice Lin
Keywords:
Abstract:
INTERVIEWER: Well, old-timer, what would you say is the death rate around here?
RESPONDENT (after a long pause): I'd say about one per person.
Defining
successful aging is simple. According to Doctors Robert Kahn and John Rowe,
authors of Successful Aging, it means to "grow old with good health,
strength, and vitality." However,
to actually experience this archetypal state of being is quite a different
story. Successful aging is the anti-aging potion of choice, possibly the
closest that modern day society will ever come to finding the seemingly
unattainable fountain of youth that was sought so fervently by Ponce de León.
In today?s materialistic society, where commercials and advertisements try to
market the idea of youth and rejuvenation, neither drugs nor cosmetics can come
close to "clean living". Clean living, according to Kahn and Rowe,
means exercising regularly, eating well, and refraining from smoking (although it
is never too late to quit) and excessive alcohol consumption. Also, having a
positive and optimistic outlook on life, thereby reducing stress, is one
concept which is absolutely essential to successful aging. One should also stay
in contact with family, friends, and community, and stay active through work
and play.
The
adjective "successful" is slowly becoming a common term to describe
the aging process as a whole. With each passing decade, the death rate
decreases and the quality of living increases. However, according to the
National Center for Health Statistics, despite the decrease in death rate for
both men and women, men have shorter life expectancies than women do by more
than four years.
Death rates
are now less than one half of what they were in 1900. In fact, the changes are
so dramatic that it is currently estimated that of all human beings who have
ever lived to 65 years or older, half of them are currently alive. Kahn and
Rowe suggest that such advances are due to two important factors that take
dualistic roles: people are taking better care of themselves, and science and
medicine are taking better care of people. Technological advances have allowed
for better control of chronic or fatal disorders such as heart disease,
hypertension, diabetes, and kidney disease, thereby lowering the risk of death.
Also, the fact that people are more educated, have more access to health care,
and have better sanitary conditions, leads to a more natural course towards
successful aging.
There is an optimistic theory among researchers, which
envisions a longer, more active life with delayed disability for older people.
This "Compression of Morbidity " theory predicts a reduction in the
incidence of disorders such as hypertension, dementia, diabetes, and arthritis,
all of which are typically non-fatal but very disabling. They fall within the
parameters of usual aging (i.e. aging with some disease and functional
decline). Healthy lifestyles can alter the rate of decline of physiological
systems that have shown "age-related" patterns, such as vision and
hearing impairments, reduction in muscle mass, strength, and breathing
capacity, as well as a decrease in heart capacity and nerve function. Many of
these disabilities have also been shown to be reversible, such as the reduction
in the risk of heart disease years after smoking cessation.
How can
such disabilities be avoided? Although there is no clearly defined answer, two
important considerations are diet and exercise. What many people do not realize
is that doing one thing on a routine basis will have a positive cascade effect
of reducing other disease risks. For instance, eating foods high in fiber,
wheat bran, whole grain breads, and cereals, and reducing intake of animal fat
and saturated fat found in dairy and meat products, will not only reduce the
risk of heart disease, but may reduce the risk of getting colorectal cancer and
prostate cancer as well. Regular,
active exercise will not only increase muscle mass and strength, but increase
breathing capacity as well. This is critical because breathing capacity, if
altered, is rarely recaptured. For instance, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) is a long-term lung disease brought about by smoking, air
pollution, and aging. With time, all the airways or tubes leading to the lungs
become infected with bronchitis, and the airways become smaller as the tissue
swells. There is no cure for COPD, so this serves as another reason to refrain
from smoking.
Based on
National Institute on Aging (NIA) findings, researchers have shown that staying
physically active through aerobic exercise, strength training, and stretching
is key to maintaining good health in later years. For instance, stretching
improves flexibility, eases movement, and reduces the risk of injury and muscle
strain. Aerobic exercises such as swimming, walking, and dancing increase the
body?s ability to use oxygen, thereby strengthening the heart and lungs. These
activities also lower the risk of heart disease and stroke in later years.
Strength training, like lifting weights or exercising against resistance,
builds muscle and bone, both of which decline with age. This type of physical
activity allows for stronger bones, improved balance, and increase in muscle
strength and mass. Strength training is very important, especially for women,
because sedentary people suffer from bone loss (also called osteoporosis) at
any age; it is not only reserved for the elderly. The risk of bone loss is
especially great for post-menopausal women because of the low levels of
naturally occurring estrogen in their blood.
In addition
to diet and exercise, there are other precautions that can be taken in order to
age successfully. Simple tasks such as applying sunscreen (minimum of Sun
Protection Factor 15) twenty minutes to two hours before sun exposure may not
only reduce the risk of skin cancer, but also protect the skin from UV rays,
keeping the skin looking younger and fresher for a longer period of time. One
must try to avoid excessive exposure to sun and cold.
Perhaps the
most conspicuous aspect of successful aging is the concept of avoiding disease.
However, successful aging extends further than that. Low probability of disease
refers not only to the presence or absence of disease but also to the presence
or absence of risk factors for disease.
One disease factor is stress, which can negatively affect a person?s
health and mind. In a study relating
psychoneuroimmunology and aging, aging was considered to be a condition
associated with many social changes that are likely to induce psychological
stress. Successful aging brings into play the idea of "resilience" to
describe the rapidity and completeness with which people recover from stressful
episodes and return to meeting the criteria of success. It comes as no surprise that limiting stress
can significantly reduce the process of aging successfully. How does it do
this? With stress comes a multitude of various conditions including high blood
pressure, elevated blood-glucose levels, increased levels of the stress hormones
cortisol and adrenaline, and high cholesterol levels. These conditions subsequently lead to the development of
hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and declined physical and mental functioning, including memory
loss.
There are
many ways handle stress. For example, in moments of high anxiety, deep
breathing helps, as does sitting quietly and relaxing each set of muscles in
your body. Also, exercise is very important because it breaks down the body's
resistance to insulin, helps end stress-eating, and alleviates the cravings for
alcohol and tobacco. Furthermore, having a social support system is essential,
particularly in situations dealing with the loss of a loved one.
Social
contact is very useful in keeping stress levels from endangering the body. In addition, positive thinking can offset
the negative consequences of stress. Enduring personality dispositions provide
a dependable basis for adaptation to a changing world, and it is suggested that
the stability of the personality itself contributes to successful aging by
allowing the individual to plan for the future and by contributing to a sense
of identity. If one uses such resources
properly, stress will not significantly taint the process of successful aging.
In the end, one
must remember that aging is a path, not a destination. Successful aging is not
the imitation of youth, nor is it just simply aging gracefully. Nobody can
reverse or slow the effects of time. However, by aging successfully, the
quality of life will be better in its latter stages. If one is active, whether it be through volunteer work or
interpersonal contact, he or she is also being productive. If tomorrow?s
individual can balance this active lifestyle with freshness, vigor, and an
accumulation of experience, then he or she will have truly succeeded in aging
successfully.
REFERENCES:
Costa PT, Jr., Metter EJ, McCrae RR. Personality
stability and its contribution to successful aging. Journal of Geriatric
Psychiatry 1994;27(1):41-59.
Guidi, Luisa. Psychoneuroimmunology and Aging.
Gerontology. 1998;44: 247-261
Kahn, Robert L. and Rowe, John Wallis. Successful Aging.
Pantheon Books, New York: 1998.
Kahn, Robert L. and Rowe, John Wallis. Successful Aging.
The Geronotlogist. Vol 37, No. 4, 433-440.
Logan, Gary. "Strung out on Stress." July-August, 1998.
World Wide Web: http://www.successfulaging.com/article3.html
Ludwig, Frederic. Editor. Life Span Extension:
Consequences and Open Questions. Springer Publishing Co. New York: 1991.
The National Institute on Aging Information Center, 1999.
World Wide Web: http://www.nih.gov/nia/health/pubpub/lifeext.htm
National Center for Health Statitics, 1999. World Wide
Web: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/releases/99facts/99sheets/97mortal.htm
Paola Timiras, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Molecular
& Cellular Biology, UC Berkeley
Trudi Cole, PhD, School of Public Health, UC Berkeley
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