Re: How To Live To be A 100

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Jeff,

Only comment is going to church, especially for people who are single, maybe gets them more companionship - people calling them, looking after them. Folks living alone may forget to eat, take pills, have home accidents. Certainly a live-in companion can call 911. After the first neighbor was found dead, we started calling/visiting the remaining.

Add: Don't go fishing alone, and never in a canoe unless you want to commit suicide.

I hate slippery surfaces, and I wear rubber soled sneakers. My bathtub/shower has carpet that doesn't slip. Slippery concrete outdoors has carpet. Things around the house reach out and grab your feet, head, sweaters, even pockets.

The portable telephone is great to carry around or put beside your favorite chair, but I find I need more than one, and a good place is the bathroom.

Flashlights I have placed all over the house, as well as night lights.

Regards.

----- Original Message -----

From: Jeff Novick

Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2005 7:15 AM

Subject: [ ] How To Live To be A 100

These are the notes from How To Live To Be 100 by H Schuster, MD, from a talk last Saturday in NYC.There are about 40, so I won;t post them all at once but in 2 to 3 groups. I will also add any relevant comments he added in paranthesis) He mentioned there is at least some if not some good data for each one but didnt give the references1) Be Lucky and Blessed (He said no matter how healthy you live, you could always get hit by a car tommorrow. He also said with the recent tragedies with the Tsunami and the Hurricanes and 9/11, that you never know)2) Have Good Genes 3) Have parents & grandparents who live to be 80; He said most centarians have parents who lived longed also.4) Be Aware of your family tree and what diseases run in your family. He said this was so you know what "precention to focus on" and he talked alittle about the human genome project.. 5) No Smoking ( he says this one of the main reasons we live longer today and for the decline in Heart Disease rates) 6) Married; Married people live 7 years longer7) Live In Utah He said he thought is was maybe because mormons dont smoke. I said maybe because they can get married many times (polygamy). :)8) Education; Both being educated and keeping your mind "exercising" asyou get older.9) Exercise: Any type, at least 4 days a week10) Wear Seatbelts & Dont Drink and Drive11) Wear Helmets: Biking, Skiiing, snowboarding, motortcycle, etc12) Religion: Going to church or synagogue adds 7 years to your life. He said he wasnt sure if it was because maybe by going to church your compelled to live healthier (not to smoke or drink) or because someone is watching over you. :)The next few are diet and Lipids so I will group them together.

[Guest guest]

I agree that going to church or synagogue (or mosque or perhaps just

belonging to any non-religious social group) may have other benefits besides

religion. Strong social support (being married certainly is one form) has

been correlated with longer life. OTOH men are the ones who live longer in

marriage IIRC. So besides the benefits of companionship, perhaps their

wives looking after them, making sure they eat right etc.

As for slippery surfaces, JW has a good point. Many years ago I slipped on

a wet spot on the kitchen floor. I wound up with a shattered kneecap which

required surgery. When it happened I couldn't move or reach the phone. I

called out to my husband but he didn't hear me. Eventually he wandered into

the kitchen looking for something to eat and found me sprawled on the floor,

incapacitated. If I lived alone I don't know how that would have turned

out. In fact when it happened, one of the first thoughts that came to me

was: " no one should live alone " .

on 1/13/2005 10:40 AM, jwwright at jwwright@... wrote:

>

> Thanks, Jeff,

> Only comment is going to church, especially for people who are single, maybe

> gets them more companionship - people calling them, looking after them. Folks

> living alone may forget to eat, take pills, have home accidents. Certainly a

> live-in companion can call 911. After the first neighbor was found dead, we

> started calling/visiting the remaining.

>

> Add: Don't go fishing alone, and never in a canoe unless you want to commit

> suicide.

> I hate slippery surfaces, and I wear rubber soled sneakers. My bathtub/shower

> has carpet that doesn't slip. Slippery concrete outdoors has carpet. Things

> around the house reach out and grab your feet, head, sweaters, even pockets.

>

> The portable telephone is great to carry around or put beside your favorite

> chair, but I find I need more than one, and a good place is the bathroom.

>

> Flashlights I have placed all over the house, as well as night lights.

>

> Regards.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi JW/Francesca:

I wonder what percentage of old people die simply because of 'silly'

avoidable accidents around the house? Certainly it is something

that, as we age, we need to pay attention to.

I also have a story a little old lady once told me that is quite

alarming when you think about it - and very well worth being aware

of. She was living alone in an apartment building. She was old and

getting older and weaker as time went by. She decided to take a

bath. Poured the water, got in, bathed and then it was time to get

out. She now found that she did not have the strength to lift

herself onto her feet. She struggled and struggled and almost gave

up. But she decided to rest for half an hour - the water getting

colder all the time. Then she made one final supreme effort to get

out, and just managed it.

She had thought that she would die in the bath and no one would

know. It makes me wonder how many old people are found dead in the

bath and no one realizes how it happened ......... they simply

couldn't muster the strength to get out.

It would be nice to see a list of precautions anyone over 80 should

be aware of to avoid these types of 'silly' problems .......

trivial, but can be life-threatening.

Rodney.

>

> >

> > Thanks, Jeff,

> > Only comment is going to church, especially for people who are

single, maybe

> > gets them more companionship - people calling them, looking after

them. Folks

> > living alone may forget to eat, take pills, have home accidents.

Certainly a

> > live-in companion can call 911. After the first neighbor was

found dead, we

> > started calling/visiting the remaining.

> >

> > Add: Don't go fishing alone, and never in a canoe unless you want

to commit

> > suicide.

> > I hate slippery surfaces, and I wear rubber soled sneakers. My

bathtub/shower

> > has carpet that doesn't slip. Slippery concrete outdoors has

carpet. Things

> > around the house reach out and grab your feet, head, sweaters,

even pockets.

> >

> > The portable telephone is great to carry around or put beside

your favorite

> > chair, but I find I need more than one, and a good place is the

bathroom.

> >

> > Flashlights I have placed all over the house, as well as night

lights.

> >

> > Regards.

> >

[Guest guest]

At the time of my accident I was fairly young. Even though, I asked the

surgeon if it was possible that I shattered my patella because of

osteoporosis. He assured me that I did not have osteo and that this was a

freak accident. The patella btw is very fragile and prone to injury. But

my point is that such an accident could happen to anyone no matter what age.

I now am sure not to wear slippery soles on my shoes and slippers to help

avoid such accidents. One time is enough for a wake up call.

I also have a " bathtub " story. In my mother's final months a similar thing

happened to her in the tub. She was staying at my house in her final months

and I was home at the time. When I couldn't get her out of the tub, she

insisted I call my husband in to help, but my husband would rather die

himself than help his naked mother-in-law out of the tub. After several

tries I finally got her out. The problem was no mat in the tub so she kept

slipping when trying to stand up and step out. Of course after that I got

mats for all tubs and showers in the house which is a good idea for everyone

regardless of age.

on 1/13/2005 11:18 AM, Rodney at perspect1111@... wrote:

> Hi JW/Francesca:

>

> I wonder what percentage of old people die simply because of 'silly'

> avoidable accidents around the house? Certainly it is something

> that, as we age, we need to pay attention to.

[Guest guest]

Let me list some silly avoidable accidents/incidents. Maybe not life threatening, per se.

1) sitting in your truck in the garage with the engine running, with the door shut. (deliberate).

2) driving into a concrete column. (probably deliberate - after recovering from a stroke.) recognize depression.

3) driving when you know you cannot see 20/20 anymore, or peripheral vision is impaired - happens even in young people. second pair of glasses in the car.

4) sitting or laying down in some fashion that you can't get up or out, like a bathtub. bathtubs should have a secure rail inside and outside.

5) living on a lake with a slight slope - slopes can be dizzy makers, especially when legs are weak. Old folks get shaky. don't get near the water.

6) standing on concrete when you have the stroke or dizziness - get carpet to pad the blow to the head.

7) kitchen cabinets that allow you to bang your head.

8) going blind from macular degeneration - seems to be increasing - VERY depressing. Putting on eye makeup when you have MD.

9) slipping while dancing - putting your hand out to catch the fall - rotator cuff injury. Any injury greatly effects exercise/mobility.

10) stairs can be slippery even with carpet.

11) using inadequate ladder, stepstool, chair, especially reaching, when you might get a little dizzy. USE A REACH TOOL - they are cheap. My wife uses one for the top shelf. If the item slips - do not try to catch it, ie, don't put the glass stuff on the top shelf. don't stand under the stuff so it hits you when it falls.

12) date everything you bag to put in freezer. If it's out of date, test it on the neighbor's cat or dog. date the cans too.

13) If you see an expanded can, use the tool to pick it up and take outside.

14) do not put used fluids into containers without marking what it is.

15) don't switch pills from one bottle to another. Once you put them in the weekly/daily pill organizer don't put them back in the bottle. And don't buy pills that look exactly like your meds.

16) If you quit taking a supplement or drug, for some reason - mark it on the bottle and keep it so you know what you tried and why you quit taking it.

17) If you have a dog or cat that gets under your feet, step on him enough times he quits.

18) don't crawl under anything to get something - use a stick - reach tool.

19) Get a bug light/zapper, if you sit outside.

20) If attacked by wasps, etc, don't run/move. They see you if you move. let the neighbor move (or the dog/cat). A wasp or snake can cause you to hurt yourself. Especially if you're standing on that shaky ladder trying to trim a tree.

21) learn to walk in the dark from bed to the bathroom.

22) get motion sensor lights outdoors that come on when you approach.

My most interesting experience was getting a 3 foot snake out from under a lady's freezer. I shined a light to the back, shot it with a .22 shotshell in the head and dragged it out with a reach tool. And she stood on the sofa and said: "Don't let him bite you in the face". I think he actually recovered. Don't keep a lot of potted plants right near your doors.

Regards.

----- Original Message -----

From: Rodney

Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2005 10:18 AM

Subject: [ ] Re: How To Live To be A 100

Hi JW/Francesca:I wonder what percentage of old people die simply because of 'silly' avoidable accidents around the house? Certainly it is something that, as we age, we need to pay attention to.I also have a story a little old lady once told me that is quite alarming when you think about it - and very well worth being aware of. She was living alone in an apartment building. She was old and getting older and weaker as time went by. She decided to take a bath. Poured the water, got in, bathed and then it was time to get out. She now found that she did not have the strength to lift herself onto her feet. She struggled and struggled and almost gave up. But she decided to rest for half an hour - the water getting colder all the time. Then she made one final supreme effort to get out, and just managed it. She had thought that she would die in the bath and no one would know. It makes me wonder how many old people are found dead in the bath and no one realizes how it happened ......... they simply couldn't muster the strength to get out.It would be nice to see a list of precautions anyone over 80 should be aware of to avoid these types of 'silly' problems ....... trivial, but can be life-threatening.Rodney.

[Guest guest]

Reflecting upon the natural catastrophes that we have seen recently,

such as tsunamis, mud slides, avalanches, etc., the Washington Post

had an article on the possibilities of accidental deaths.

The article mentions that the chance of death by exposure to cold is 1

in 6,165, but 1 in 12,310 for exposure to heat. Deaths by suicide: 1

in 121, car accident 1 in 247, pedestrian accident 1 in 608.

Here are some of the sources used by the article:

Leading causes of death

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm

(Data are for U.S. in 2001)

Number of deaths for leading causes of death

- Heart Disease: 696,947

- Cancer: 557,271

- Stroke: 162,672

- Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 124,816

- Accidents (unintentional injuries): 106,742

- Diabetes: 73,249

Leading Causes of Death

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/dvs/nvsr52_09p9.pdf (102 KB)

Tony

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

I thought that the below pdf was interesting with respect

to our most likely causes of demise. Specifically, how might

the numbers be for CRers? Rodents die of kidney diseases,

which are " Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and

nephrosis " , more than humans and presumably

CRers also.

The below is an excerpt for myself. Cancer is number 1

and rodents show very low levels with CR. Disease of the

heart are low in rodents, but the indications are that it also

has a reduced risk in CR.

My thinking is that lower respiratory deaths will be greater

than in the below table for human CRers. Say, if CR lowers

cancers and disease of the heart by two-thirds, then possibly

higher respiratory disease levels may form a major cause of

our death? Accidents may become a major cause of CRer

death.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/pdf/nvsr50_16t1.pdf

Technical Notes

14 National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 50, No. 16, September 16,

2002

Table 1. Deaths, percent of total deaths, and death rates for the 10

leading causes of death in selected age groups, by

race and sex: United States, 2000—Con.

[Rates per 100,000 population in specified group. Data for races

other than white and black should be interpreted with caution because

of inconsistencies between reporting

race on death certificates and on censuses and surveys; see Technical

Notes. Population denominators for 2000 death rates are based on the

1990 census population; see

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------

Cause of death (Based on the Tenth

Percent

Revision, International Classification

of of total

Diseases, 1992), race, sex, and age Number 2

deaths

----------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

All races, male, 55–64 years

All causes ................................................

143,321 ............100.0

Malignant

neoplasms ..................................48,427.............. 33.8

Diseases of heart . .....................................

43,285................ 30.2

Chronic lower respiratory diseases................

5,564 .................3.9

Cerebrovascular diseases ............................

5,496................ 3.8

Accidents (unintentional injuries) ..................

5,133 .................3.6

Diabetes mellitus ........................................

4,943............... 3.4

Chronic liver disease and

cirrhosis .................4,005................. 2.8

Intentional self-harm

(suicide) ........................2,265 ................1.6

Influenza and

pneumonia ..............................1,680 ................1.2

[Kidney

diseases]..........................................1,651..............

.. 1.2

All other causes

(Residual) ...........................20,872 .............14.6

>

> Reflecting upon the natural catastrophes that we have seen recently,

> such as tsunamis, mud slides, avalanches, etc., the Washington Post

> had an article on the possibilities of accidental deaths.

>

> The article mentions that the chance of death by exposure to cold

is 1

> in 6,165, but 1 in 12,310 for exposure to heat. Deaths by suicide:

1

> in 121, car accident 1 in 247, pedestrian accident 1 in 608.

>

> Here are some of the sources used by the article:

>

> Leading causes of death

> http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm

>

> (Data are for U.S. in 2001)

> Number of deaths for leading causes of death

>

> - Heart Disease: 696,947

> - Cancer: 557,271

> - Stroke: 162,672

> - Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 124,816

> - Accidents (unintentional injuries): 106,742

> - Diabetes: 73,249

>

> Leading Causes of Death

> http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/dvs/nvsr52_09p9.pdf (102 KB)

>

> Tony

[Guest guest]

Hi Al:

It would be just great to know what it is those on CRON are most

likely to die from. Then we would know what we should spend our time

trying to protect ourselves against. But mice are not humans. Not

only that, they virtually never die from the greatest cause of death

in humans - heart disease!

So isn't it, perhaps, time for someone - Spindler? or Fontana? or

Mattson? to do a study on ***HAMSTERS*** edged into 40% CR at various

ages (perhaps aged '25' and '55') to determine what it is they die

from?

That might give us some pretty good clues. In particular, if

hamsters are indeed a good heart disease analogy for humans, then we

could get some idea as to whether the huge improvements seen in the

lipids values of those on CR really do translate into a dramatic

reduction in deaths from heart disease.

Rodney.

--- In , " old542000 " <apater@m...>

wrote:

>

> Hi All,

>

> I thought that the below pdf was interesting with respect

> to our most likely causes of demise. Specifically, how might

> the numbers be for CRers? Rodents die of kidney diseases,

> which are " Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and

> nephrosis " , more than humans and presumably

> CRers also.

>

> The below is an excerpt for myself. Cancer is number 1

> and rodents show very low levels with CR. Disease of the

> heart are low in rodents, but the indications are that it also

> has a reduced risk in CR.

>

> My thinking is that lower respiratory deaths will be greater

> than in the below table for human CRers. Say, if CR lowers

> cancers and disease of the heart by two-thirds, then possibly

> higher respiratory disease levels may form a major cause of

> our death? Accidents may become a major cause of CRer

> death.

>

> http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/pdf/nvsr50_16t1.pdf

>

> Technical Notes

>

> 14 National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 50, No. 16, September 16,

> 2002

>

> Table 1. Deaths, percent of total deaths, and death rates for the

10

> leading causes of death in selected age groups, by

> race and sex: United States, 2000—Con.

>

> [Rates per 100,000 population in specified group. Data for races

> other than white and black should be interpreted with caution

because

> of inconsistencies between reporting

> race on death certificates and on censuses and surveys; see

Technical

> Notes. Population denominators for 2000 death rates are based on

the

> 1990 census population; see

> --------------------------------------------------------------------

--

> ----------------------------------------------

> Cause of death (Based on the

Tenth

> Percent

> Revision, International Classification

> of of total

> Diseases, 1992), race, sex, and age Number 2

> deaths

> --------------------------------------------------------------------

--

> ------------------------------

> All races, male, 55–64 years

> All causes ................................................

> 143,321 ............100.0

> Malignant

> neoplasms ..................................48,427..............

33.8

> Diseases of heart . .....................................

> 43,285................ 30.2

> Chronic lower respiratory diseases................

> 5,564 .................3.9

> Cerebrovascular diseases ............................

> 5,496................ 3.8

> Accidents (unintentional injuries) ..................

> 5,133 .................3.6

> Diabetes mellitus ........................................

> 4,943............... 3.4

> Chronic liver disease and

> cirrhosis .................4,005................. 2.8

> Intentional self-harm

> (suicide) ........................2,265 ................1.6

> Influenza and

> pneumonia ..............................1,680 ................1.2

> [Kidney

>

diseases]..........................................1,651..............

> . 1.2

> All other causes

> (Residual) ...........................20,872 .............14.6

>

>

> --- In , " citpeks " <citpeks@y...>

wrote:

> >

> > Reflecting upon the natural catastrophes that we have seen

recently,

> > such as tsunamis, mud slides, avalanches, etc., the Washington

Post

> > had an article on the possibilities of accidental deaths.

> >

> > The article mentions that the chance of death by exposure to cold

> is 1

> > in 6,165, but 1 in 12,310 for exposure to heat. Deaths by

suicide:

> 1

> > in 121, car accident 1 in 247, pedestrian accident 1 in 608.

> >

> > Here are some of the sources used by the article:

> >

> > Leading causes of death

> > http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm

> >

> > (Data are for U.S. in 2001)

> > Number of deaths for leading causes of death

> >

> > - Heart Disease: 696,947

> > - Cancer: 557,271

> > - Stroke: 162,672

> > - Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 124,816

> > - Accidents (unintentional injuries): 106,742

> > - Diabetes: 73,249

> >

> > Leading Causes of Death

> > http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/dvs/nvsr52_09p9.pdf (102 KB)

> >

> > Tony