Can You Lengthen Your Life?
Researchers Explore How To Stay Healthy Longer
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\n Want the secret to living a longer and healthier life? Scientists have found ways to prolong the healthy lifespans of worms, mice, and even monkeys. Their work has revealed exciting new clues about the biology of aging. But solid evidence still shows that the best way to boost the chance of living a long and active life is to follow the advice you likely heard from your parents: eat well, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and stay away from bad habits.
\nPeople born in the U.S. today can expect to live to an average age of about 79. A century ago, life expectancy was closer to 54. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a significant increase in lifespan over the last century,\u201d says Dr. Marie Bernard, deputy director of NIH\u2019s National Institute on Aging. \u201cNow if you make it to age 65, the likelihood that you\u2019ll make it to 85 is very high. And if you make it to 85, the likelihood that you\u2019ll make it to 92 is very high. So people are living longer, and it\u2019s happening across the globe.\u201d
\nOlder people tend to be healthier nowadays, too. Research has shown that healthful behaviors can help you stay active and healthy into your 60s, 70s, and beyond. In fact, a long-term study of Seventh-day Adventists\u2014a religious group with a generally healthy lifestyle\u2014shows that they tend to remain healthier into old age. Their life expectancy is nearly 10 years longer on average than most Americans. The Adventists\u2019 age-enhancing behaviors include regular exercise, a vegetarian diet, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, and maintaining a healthy weight.
\n\u201cIf I had to rank behaviors in terms of priority, I\u2019d say that exercise is the most important thing associated with living longer and healthier,\u201d says Dr. Luigi Ferrucci, an NIH geriatrician who oversees research on aging and health. \u201cExercise is especially important for lengthening active life expectancy, which is life without disease and without physical and mental/thinking disability.\u201d
\nNatural changes to the body as we age can lead to a gradual loss of muscle, reduced energy, and achy joints. These changes may make it tempting to move less and sit more. But doing that can raise your risk for disease, disability, and even death. It\u2019s important to work with a doctor to find the types of physical activity that can help you maintain your health and mobility.
\nEven frail older adults can benefit from regular physical activity. One NIH-funded study included over 600 adults, ages 70 to 89, who were at risk for disability. They were randomly placed in either a moderate exercise program or a comparison group without structured exercise. The exercise group gradually worked up to 150 minutes of weekly activity. This included brisk walking, strength and balance training, and flexibility exercises.
\n\u201cAfter more than 2 years, the physical activity group had less disability, and if they became disabled, they were disabled for a shorter time than those in the comparison group,\u201d Bernard explains. \u201cThe combination of different types of exercise\u2014aerobic, strength and balance training, and flexibility\u2014is important to healthy aging.\u201d NIH\u2019s Go4Life website has tips to help older adults get and stay active.
\nAnother sure way to improve your chances for a longer, healthier life is to shed excess weight. \u201cBeing obese\u2014with a body mass index (BMI) higher than 30\u2014is a risk factor for early death, and it shortens your active life expectancy,\u201d Ferrucci says. BMI is an estimate of your body fat based on your weight and height. Use NIH\u2019s BMI calculator to determine your BMI. Talk with a doctor about reaching a healthy weight.
\nStudies in animals have found that certain types of dietary changes\u2014such as extremely low-calorie diets\u2014can lead to longer, healthier lives. These studies offer clues to the biological processes that affect healthy aging. But to date, calorie-restricted diets and other dietary changes have had mixed results in extending the healthy lives of people.
\n\u201cWe have indirect evidence that nutritional adjustments can improve active longevity in people, but this is still an area of intense research,\u201d Ferrucci says. \u201cSo far, we don\u2019t really have solid evidence about caloric restriction and whether it may have a positive effect on human aging.\u201d Researchers are now studying potential drugs or other approaches that might mimic calorie restriction\u2019s benefits.
\nNot smoking is another pathway to a longer, healthier life. \u201cThere\u2019s no question that smoking is a hard habit to break. But data suggest that from the moment you stop smoking, there are health benefits. So it\u2019s worthwhile making that effort,\u201d Bernard says.
\nYou might think you need good genes to live longer. But genes are only part of the equation for most of us, says Dr. Thomas Perls, an aging expert and director of the New England Centenarian Study at the Boston University School of Medicine. \u201cResearch shows that genes account for less than one-third of your chances of surviving to age 85. The vast majority of variation in how old we live to be is due to our health behaviors,\u201d Perls says. \u201cOur genes could get most of us close to the remarkable age of 90 if we lead a healthy lifestyle.\u201d
\nThe influence of genes is stronger, though, for people who live to older ages, such as beyond 95. Perls has been studying people who live to age 100 and up (centenarians) and their families to learn more about the biological, psychological, and social factors that promote healthy aging.
\n\u201cIt seems there\u2019s not a single gene that imparts a strong effect on the ability to get to these older ages,\u201d Perls says. \u201cInstead, it\u2019s the combined effects of probably hundreds of genes, each with weak effects individually, but having the right combination can lead to a very strong effect, especially for living to the oldest ages we study.\u201d
\nIt\u2019s a good idea to be skeptical of claims for a quick fix to aging-related problems. Perls cautions against marketed \u201canti-aging\u201d measures such as \u201chormone replacement therapy,\u201d which has little proven benefit for healthy aging and can have severe side effects. \u201cPeople used to say, \u2018the older you get the sicker you get.\u2019 But with common sense, healthy habits such as regular exercise, a healthy weight, avoiding red meat, not smoking, and managing stress, it can be \u2018the older you get, the healthier you\u2019ve been,\u2019\u201d Perls says.
\nThe key to healthy aging is to engage fully in life\u2014mentally, physically, and socially. \u201cTransitioning to older years isn\u2019t about sitting in a rocking chair and letting the days slip by,\u201d Bernard says. \u201cOlder adults have unique experiences, intellectual capital, and emotional involvement that can be shared with younger generations. This engagement is really key to helping our society move forward.\u201d
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References
Effect of Structured Physical Activity on Prevention of Major Mobility Disability in Older Adults: The LIFE Study Randomized Clinical Trial. Pahor M, Guralnik JM, Ambrosius WT, et al., for the LIFE study investigators. JAMA. 2014 Jun 18;311(23):2387-96. doi: 10.1001/jama.2014.5616. PMID: 24866862.
Genetic signatures of exceptional longevity in humans. Sebastiani P, Solovieff N, Dewan AT, et al. PLoS One. 2012;7(1):e29848. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029848. Epub 2012 Jan 18. PMID: 22279548.
\nVegetarian dietary patterns and mortality in Adventist Health Study 2. Orlich MJ, Singh PN, Sabat\u00e9 J, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Fan J, Knutsen S, Beeson WL, Fraser GE. JAMA Intern Med. 2013 Jul 8;173(13):1230-8. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.6473. PMID: 23836264.
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