Lifestyle and Lifepan

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

This one is interesting. Not news of course, but just a few lifestyle precautions considerably extend lifespan. And these people aren't doing much in the way of serious CR ON, rather just making some sensible adjustments. There is reason to suppose we as a group can very probably do better still:

Exceptional longevity in men: modifiable factors associated with survival and function to age 90 years.

Yates LB, Djoussé L, Kurth T, Buring JE, Gaziano JM.

Division of Aging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 1620 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02120, USA. lbyates@...

BACKGROUND: Prospective data on nongenetic determinants of exceptional longevity are limited, and information on long-lived men and their functional status is particularly sparse. We examined modifiable factors associated with a life span of 90 or more years and late-life function in men.

METHODS: In this prospective cohort study of 2357 healthy men (mean age, 72 years) within the Physicians' Health Study (1981-2006), biological and lifestyle factors and comorbid conditions were assessed by self-report with baseline and annual questionnaires. Mortality and incidence of major diseases were confirmed by medical record review. Late-life function was assessed 16 years after baseline by the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey.

RESULTS: A total of 970 men (41%) survived to at least age 90 years. Smoking was associated with increased risk of mortality before age 90 years (hazard ratio

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; 2.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.75-2.51), and similar associations were observed with diabetes (HR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.52-2.26), obesity (HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.10-1.90), and hypertension (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.15-1.43). Regular exercise was associated with a nearly 30% lower mortality risk (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.62-0.83). The probability of a 90-year life span at age 70 years was 54% in the absence of smoking, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, or sedentary lifestyle. It ranged from 36% to 22% with 2 adverse factors and was negligible (4%) with 5. Compared with nonsurvivors, men with exceptional longevity had a healthier lifestyle (67% vs 53% had <or=1 adverse factor), had a lower incidence of chronic diseases, and were 3 to 5 years older at disease onset. They had better late-life physical function (mean +/- SD score [maximum 100], 73 +/- 23 vs 62 +/- 30; P < .001) and mental well-being (mean score, 84 +/- 14 vs 81 +/- 17; P = .03). More than 68% (vs 45%) rated their late-life health as excellent or very good, and less than 8% (vs 22%) reported fair or poor health (P < .001 for trend). Regular exercise was associated with significantly better-and smoking and overweight with significantly worse- late-life physical function. Smoking also was associated with a significant decrement in mental function.

CONCLUSION: Modifiable healthy behaviors during early elderly years, including smoking abstinence, weight management, blood pressure control, and regular exercise, are associated not only with enhanced life span in men but also with good health and function during older age."

PMID: 18268169

Rodney.

[Guest guest]

Rodney .. for me, this ties-in with your ADL post (#27858). There,

you wrote [[Various types of exercise are also likely to be

beneficial. One paper I read - which I can no longer locate - found

that specific targeted exercises were likely to be more useful than

generalized fitness activities.]]

And from this study, " CONCLUSION: Modifiable healthy behaviors during

early elderly years, including smoking abstinence, weight management,

blood pressure control, and regular exercise, are associated not only

with enhanced life span in men but also with good health and function

during older age. "

When I think, " specific targeted exercises " , and " modifiable healthy

behaviors..elderly years " , I think, " Yoga " .

Ok .. Im biased .. admittedly, but in India, for example, Yoga is

considered in two ways: to improve health, as a retirement exercise.

Most people in India (if not attached to a Western-based /

Americanized program) start Yoga around the age of 50. Simply, it is

easy to do, is low impact, can be done by or to the infirmed (as

physical therapy), and emphasizes overall bodily movement.

Works for me, and has for over 30 years. And during that time, while

teaching, I have seen it return health and vitality to many.

Literally.

Then there is Yoga's philosophy that the human body was meant to

live - happy, healthy and holy - for 120 years. So for me, Yoga is

all about " Lifestyle and Lifespan " , and so ties-in neatly with CRON.

Om Peace!

Valarie Devi

[Guest guest]

Hi Valarie,

You commented...

"When I think, "specific targeted exercises", and "modifiable healthy

behaviors..elderly years", I think, "Yoga".

The study defined exercise as

"frequency of vigorous exercise sufficient to cause sweat

(rarely/never, <1 time per week, 1-6 times per week, or ≥1 times per

day)" of which, and for most people, may not include Yoga.

You can read some more of a related discussion (and my comments) on

"yoga" as "exericse" in the following threads.

25996, 26019, 26034, 27613

While I am not minimizing the impact of your practice or any Yoga

practice for some general health benefit, Yoga is a very loosely

defined word, and may not always equate to vigorous aerobic exercise,

or provide the benefits in the above study or the recent one we saw on

"runners". Perhaps, as a practitioner/student you may be better

able to answer my request in the above mentioned posts, for such

studies on Yoga that show otherwise.

Regards

Jeff