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Joy . . . or Pain?
Stay Connected
Don't isolate yourself -- now or when you're older. Research has shown that the more connected you are to a community -- be that your family, your synagogue or your book group -- the longer you are likely to live. That makes sense given our evolution from social pack animals whose survival depended on being part of a group, said Robert Butler, professor of geriatrics at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York and president and CEO of the International Longevity Center.
"Results in these studies seem to be related to the importance of intimate, personal relationships, but there's more to it to that," he added. "When you're sick, having family or friends there to go and fetch your medicine is also important."
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Heart disease is just one of the health risks that's reduced by spending more time with others. A 2004 study of 6,861 Swedish men and women in the journal Social Science and Medicine found that those who participated in the highest number of social activities reported fewer cases of coronary heart disease.
Having a spouse counts, too. A 2003 study of 7,524 women over age 64 in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine associated both being married and having an active social life with reduced risk of death.
Being with your flock also confers protective benefits. A 2004 study of older adults in the journal Health Psychology found that those who attended religious services more than once weekly had lower mortality and elevated levels of interleukin-6 -- a substance produced by the body that can improve response to infection and disease.
Make sure your buddies are in the mix, too. A recent Australian study, said Butler, showed that friends -- who are, after all, the people you choose to associate with voluntarily -- were even more important to interact with frequently than family.
Watch the Alcohol
If you drink a lot, you're reducing your odds for that longer and better life you so richly deserve. But in recent years, much research has demonstrated benefits, for many people, of drinking just a little bit.
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine earlier this year found that one drink per day (equivalent to a 12-ounce beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of liquor) may decrease the risk of cognitive decline in women. In fact, among the participants, who were aged 70 to 81, moderate drinkers had better cognitive scores than nondrinkers.
These findings join others showing that consuming one drink every other day to two a day may lower risk of heart attack, stroke and peripheral arterial disease. Heart attack risk saw the greatest reduction -- 30 percent. Over all, moderate drinkers die later than do nondrinkers or heavy drinkers, and they develop less disability than the general population.
The mechanism for such protective effects is not clear. But scientists know that moderate alcohol intake reduces blood clotting and blood pressure while raising good HDL cholesterol, thus improving the overall cholesterol profile. However, the American Cancer Society recommends restricting alcohol or abstaining, noting that even moderate drinking may increase the risk of several cancers. For women, findings from some 50 studies suggest alcohol consumption is tied to a higher risk of breast cancer. One drink a day appears to increase risk by 10 percent.
Ditch the Butts
If, like 40 million Americans, you're still smoking despite all the warnings, our finger-wagging won't likely stop you. The following data won't either, but here they are anyway: Tobacco use is the largest cause of premature death in the United States and the largest cause of disability. Smoking causes 90 percent of lung cancer cases and much of the cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus. It can also lead to sudden cardiac death, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, while increasing bone loss and osteoporosis. There's also impotence, vision loss, a bad cough, icky teeth and lousy breath.
For all the damage smoking does, the body bounces back fairly quickly once a smoker tosses the butts. According to the American Cancer Society, three months after quitting, lung function improves by 30 percent. Within a year, quitters lower their risk of heart disease by half. Within five years, risk of stroke drops to that of a lifelong nonsmoker. Within 15 years, risk of heart disease does the same.
