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How Old Is Old?

This is from the New York Times. Made me think, plus I am tiling my kitchen and way behind schedule so it is quoted verbatim.

How old do you feel? And how old will you be when you reach old age?

The public’s views on age and aging are explored in a new national survey on aging from the Pew Research Center, explained in a story by my colleague Sarah Arnquist.

Most adults over age 50 feel at least 10 years younger than their actual age, the survey found. One-third of those between 65 and 74 said they felt 10 to 19 years younger, and one-sixth of people 75 and older said they felt 20 years younger.

And at what age does old age begin? Most people in the survey said old age starts at age 68. Are they kidding? That seems way too young to me. Not surprisingly, most people over 65 have a different idea about old age. Among those getting the senior citizen discount, most say old age begins at 75.

Now consider the answer given by people under 30. Most of them think you’re old by the time you hit 60, Ms. Arnquist reports.

Read the full story, “How Old Do You Feel? It Depends on Your Age.” Be sure to listen to the audio to the left that features people of various ages explaining how they define old age.
And then please join the discussion below. How old do you feel? And at what age do you think old age begins?

photo credit: AleBonvini

Technorati Tags: old age, aging, old

New Type Of High Blood Pressure Treatment

It is estimated that one in three adults have high blood pressure. Though current treatments are effective for many people, there are some whose blood pressure does not come down enough, even when they are on multiple drugs. Now there is news of a new type of high blood pressure treatment.

Unless you measure your blood pressure, generally, you have no idea of what your blood pressure actually is. It could be low, normal or high. It is really a good idea to measure it once in a while.

There a whole range of treatment options for high blood pressure, ranging from controlled breathing to one or more drugs. These treatments will reduce blood pressure for most people. However, there are some people who are resistant to treatment; their blood pressure will only drop slightly, with combination therapy such as a three different drugs, and stays well above the target range.

A small study now suggests an alternative type of treatment for lowering blood pressure. This new method used minimally invasive surgery.

Using a catheter (tube threaded into the body) they were given radiofrequency treatment in a specific area close to the kidney. This treatment destroyed certain nerves. The kidney is one of the major organs for controlling blood pressure. By inactivating certain nerves, and hence stopping some signals to the kidney, blood pressure will drop.

All the subjects in the study were on three blood pressure drugs, and still had systolic pressure (upper number) of 160 mm Hg or greater. Those that had the surgery had a big drop in blood pressure and this drop was maintained 12 months later. The study participants that did not have the surgery, on average, had slightly higher blood pressure after 12 months.

There were no problems for any of the patients that had the surgery. Catheters are commonly used for other techniques such as angioplasty.

This technique could reduce the number of people with heart failure, strokes, heart attacks and eye damage significantly. The use of this surgery could translate into many people not getting a reduced quality of life due to the consequences of uncontrolled high blood pressure, and huge healthcare savings. Hopefully the early findings are repeated in larger studies.

photo credit: Zeusandhera

Technorati Tags: high blood pressure, kidney, catheter, surgery

Do You Have Much Brown Fat?

On reading the question do you have much brown fat; you are probably thinking I really hope not. However, you should be thinking the reverse.

So why on earth would you hope to have some brown fat? We nearly all hope for less fat, and brown fat sounds pretty yucky.

When we are born we have quite a bit of brown fat, or as it is also known, brown adipose tissue. The main purpose of brown fat is to make heat. Newborn babies are not able to move much, have little surface body fat, usually not able to shiver and their nervous system is not fully developed. Therefore, newborns use brown fat to help keep them warm in cool conditions.

White fat, the “regular” fat, has two purposes, one is protection and cushioning, particularly of our organs, the other is to store energy.

Putting out heat means using lots of energy, which of course, is using lots of calories. So brown fat uses calories, whereas white fat stores calories.

It was thought until recently that as a baby developed it lost all its brown fat. However, it has been shown by activity and biopsy that most adults do have some brown fat. Not a lot, but some.

Now it has been shown that the brown fat is activated when somebody is in cool conditions for an hour or two. This makes sense when the body is cold, it tries to heat itself. One way this happens is by shivering. Shivering is using your muscles to move, which generates heat. Activating brown fat is another way to heat your body.

So, generally, who has the most brown fat? Thinner people tend to have more than fatter people – less of an insulating layer of white fat. Younger had more than older. Those with lower glucose levels. Women had more than men.

This raises some interesting questions. If you kept yourself slightly cold how many extra calories would you burn? Would it be enough for weight loss? Are people who live in cold climates or cold houses likely to be thinner? If you keep brown fat activated, will the amount you have increase?

Should we all turn down the thermostat and take a blanket off the bed?

photo credit: iZZo.mv

Technorati Tags: brown fat, brown adipose tissue, non-shivering thermogenesis, calories, baby

Hot Tea, Cancer, Osteoporosis, Vertigo And Vitamin D

Here is a brief round-up of some new items.

Drinking very hot tea can increase the risk of throat cancer. In northern Iran where they traditionally drink a lot of very hot tea, over a liter (quart) a day, there are high rates of throat cancer. Comparisons showed that in those who drank the hottest tea versus those who drank their tea the coolest, there was an eightfold risk of throat cancer. If you drink really hot coffee or tea perhaps you should let it cool a bit before drinking.

Another reason to get plenty of vitamin D, calcium and exercise. There seems to be a link between vertigo, a type of dizziness, and osteoporosis. Those with osteoporosis had a three times higher risk of vertigo. Vertigo is caused when our inner ear gets disturbed. Benign paroxysomal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one cause. It occurs when calcium crystals in the inner ear get displaced. It is suggested that having osteoporosis makes it more likely that you will get BPPV.

An analysis of a number of previous studies suggests that low vitamin D levels increase the risk of bone fractures. In this analysis increasing calcium intake did not further decreased the risk. Some researchers suggest that the RDA for vitamin D is too low (50 mg per day). There are negative effects when too much vitamin D is consumed, so proceed with caution.

photo credit: Hotplate Arts

[tags] hot tea, throat cancer, steoporosis, vertigo, benign paroxysomal positional vertigo, BPPV, vitamin D[/tags

Biological Clock Plays A Role in Aging

All animals including humans have a biological clock. This clock is important for controlling the daily in many of our bodily processes. Recently there has been evidence that the biological clock plays a role in aging.

We all have a circadian (Latin, circa=about, diem=day) rhythm. This is the daily rhythm of our bodies. Our biological clock that gives us a rhythm that lasts about 24 hours. In most people the circadian rhythm is not exactly 24 hours, it can be slightly shorter or longer, but it adjusted by external cues such as light. During the clock period, besides obvious things like sleep, a large number of things vary during the period. For instance did you know the majority of the cholesterol that your body makes, is produced at night?

For humans to maintain optimal health, it is important to follow the rhythms of the clock. Continued disturbances of the biological clock have been suggested to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and even cancer. Short term disturbances can lead to a range of symptoms including mood alteration, fatigue, and insomnia. Think about how awful you feel, and how poorly you function with jet lag, while resetting the biological clock.

As we age our biological clock does not function as strongly as it does when we are younger. This increases the chances of getting insomnia and many of our bodies processes not functioning on a tight a schedule.

In the last couple of years, there has been evidence that the biological clock is also tied to regulation of production of energy. It has been shown that biological clock is involved in the regulation of glucose. Disregulation of glucose and insulin insensitivity is involved in the development of diabetes. This losing of regulation of glucose may play a role in the increased likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes increases as we age.

Now recent research has linked the biological clock to SIRT1, which is often called the longevity gene. SIRT1 is also linked to energy metabolism in the body. The researchers suggest that energy intake via food can via SIRT1 influence the biological clock and this too may play a role in the aging.

photo credit: robstephaustralia

Technorati Tags: biological clock, circadian rhythm, glucose, aging, SIRT1, diabetes

Lower Salt, More Sleep And Keep Moving

There are quite a few websites that I look at on a regular basis. Some I will forget to check out, and then, like today, find them again. I had forgetten that the American Heart Association website is always a good place to look for cardiovascular-related news and information about heart health and disease.

An estimate of the health effect of consuming a little less salt, 3 grams per day (which is about 1,200 mg of sodium) is there would be a quarter of a million less new cases of heart disease in a decade. This number is quite staggering considering that most people would not even notice a 3 gram per day decrease in their salt intake. Apparently most Americans eat 9 to 12 grams of salt (3,600 – 4,800 mg sodium) per day. The recommendation is 5-6 grams of salt (2,000 – 2,400 mg sodium) per day.

Now that most of us are eating out less due to the economy, reading the labels on foods and choosing more low sodium foods, should make it easier for most people to lower their salt/sodium intake. Many brands of prepared foods will have the American Heart Association check mark on them if they are within the heart healthy guidelines.

Those that routinely get less than 6 hours sleep per night on workdays are at an increased risk of having higher fasting glucose. An increase in fasting glucose levels is an indicator of the beginning of development of diabetes. There was no downside, with regards to fasting blood glucose, to getting more than eight hours sleep. This is yet another study that shows a negative impact on health for those who consistently do not get enough sleep. We all need to get lots of sleep.

Those who exercise after a heart attack improve blood vessel function. Both aerobic and resistance training are effective. Those who did not exercise had very little improvement in the functioning of their blood vessels. The bad news is that for the improvement to be maintained, the exercise program had to be maintained.

So – lower your salt intake, make sure you get your zzzz, and keep exercising.

photo credit: Franck Mahon

Technorati Tags: heart, salt, sodium, sleep, exercise, heart attack

Fear of Falling: Do Yoga Or Tai Chi

Though we tend to obsess about wrinkles, gray hair and the surface signs of aging, there are other facets of aging that affect our lives in a more basic way. One thing that is very aging is the fear of falling.

A deteriorating sense of balance, and at a later stage a loss of muscle strength in the legs are the main causes of becoming frightened of falling over.

Fear of falling over is aging for two reasons. First, it starts to limit horizons, the world becomes smaller and more restricted. Rough ground, steep stairs, and crowded places are examples of places that are avoided. Not being able to be easily able and comfortable going where you want is a feature of the aging process for many people.

Second, in a more obvious way, fear of falling changes body posture and gait. If you are frightened of falling you look down a lot more, which will increase the tendency to get the characteristic curved spine, head down look. Young people look up and around not just in front of their feet, and have straighter backs. Fear of falling also tends to make for a slower, smaller step style of walking. Often, eventually developing a shuffling gait.

There are a number of studies that have shown that yoga, tai chi and similar exercise types can make a significant difference to the elderly in terms of improving their walking abilities and reducing the fear of falling. Statistics from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the leading causes of both non-fatal injury, and admission to hospital for trauma in those 65 years and older, is falling.

So why not start to do a little tai chi or yoga, even before you develop the fear of falling? Yoga, tai chi, etc., definitely will help delay or even prevent developing a strong fear of falling.

Obviously, yoga and tai chi help improve the sense of balance. As we age our sense of balance deteriorates. However, balance training can restore our sense of balance to a level that is similar to when we were much younger. (I will do another post soon on aging and balance since it has several facets.)

One important part of balance is flexibility. If you can flex you are much less likely to fall over. When we are standing, we are balancing on our feet and constantly correcting our balance. If you are very inflexible then it is hard to correct from a wavering away from the center of balance – think ninepin. If you can flex then it is easy to bend the body in a way that will correct the imbalance and remain standing or walking.

Another advantage of these types of exercises is that they strengthen the legs. Aging results in a decrease in muscle mass and strength, called sarcopenia. Often the elderly will develop a shuffling gait, not picking their feet up properly. This is partly due to lack of muscle strength. Look at an elderly person’s legs; they are usually really thin and spindly. Everybody will undergo sarcopenia, and have a decline in muscle mass as they age. Fortunately, exercises that strengthen muscles will significantly slow the decline.

The increase in muscle strength and the movements and postures of these disciplines will also help strengthen the core, chest shoulders and back and improve posture, stopping or slowing the development of an older body shape.

So get a yoga or tai chi or qi gong (or anything that takes your fancy) DVD, book or go to a class once a week. A small amount of time will have a big benefit.

Not only will yoga, or whatever, help with stress, which itself is aging, but it will really slow one aspect of aging, fear of falling.

photo credit: j / f / photos

Technorati Tags: fear of falling, yoga, tai chi, qi gong, sense of balance, sarcopenia, posture, gait

Fashion Magazines And False Perfection

How is your body image? How many people are really even remotely comfortable with their bodies? I was shocked yesterday to find out how much photographs in fashion magazines are manipulated. We are chasing such a false perfection.

The video I saw on changes the faces and bodies of models in fashion magazines was surprising even to a cynic like me.

One retouch “artist” said that there was usually something like 30 rounds of retouching of photographs! Meaning the artist made some changes, the magazine then asked for more changes, and so on, for 30 rounds. By 30 rounds of changes, how much of the original photograph remains?

Everything is changed, usually the models are made thinner, wrinkles removed, eyes changed, hair filled out and probably just about everything else. The people who do the changes are truly artists since you cannot tell the fake from the real. The new bodies have a more idealized androgynous shape, and the hair, face shape and skin are perfection.

The scary thing about this is that original photographs are of models. So if a model needs to be significantly changed, those of us with regular bodies, faces and hair ……

There are many studies about how we evaluate ourselves against the bodies and faces in fashion magazines. We are comparing ourselves to an impossible to achieve perfection. We might as well try to be Barbie.

photo credit: Chesi – Fotos CC

Technorati Tags: body image, fashion magazine, retouching

The Bright Yellow Spice

Is nearly every foodstuff good for you? It seems that every day there is a new miracle food. One spice that there has been much research on is turmeric, the bright yellow spice.

Turmeric is a powder obtained from the rhizome (underground stem) of Curcuma longa which is a member of the ginger family. The ginger that we buy in the produce section of the supermarket is the rhizome of the ginger plant.

The powder from the turmeric rhizome is a bright yellow-orange (aptly described as marigold) color, and as well as being found in Indian and other Asian foods, is often used a coloring in many prepared foods (code E100).

Since turmeric powder is dried minimally processed plant material, it contains many many components. So far the compound, found in high levels in turmeric that has been shown to have many health benefits, is curcumin.

Though there are no strong studies in humans, there are several studies in mice that were fed turmeric and many studies in the “test tube” using purified curcumin. In mice turmeric has been shown to reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes and reduce the risk of complications of obesity. Diabetes and obesity have a strong inflammatory component and curcumin has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, it is hypothesized that for diabetics and in obesity that curcumin may reduce the levels of inflammation and improving health out comes.

Curcumin has also been shown to have anti-cancer, antibiotic and antioxidant properties in experiments. Evidence of these properties is anecdotal.

One consideration for tumeric, or any other foodstuff for that matter, is uptake in the gut. Studies with curcumin have suggested that it is unstable in the gut and that very little is found circulating in the blood after eating it. This begs the question; does curcumin have to be in the presence of something else that makes it more stable or makes it more readily absorbed? Do we only need vey low levels of curcumin to get an effect? Does the method of preparation of the turmeric powder itself, the food containing turmeric affect levels in the body? Or something else?

To get benefit from the huge range of nutrients in our foods, perhaps we need to eat a varied diet with different combinations of things. This way, at different times we may get more or less uptake and effective distribution in the body of the different nutrients. Good news for foodies?

photo credit: _william

Technorati Tags: turmeric, curcumin, diabetes, obesity, gut, inflammation

Do Blueberries Lower Cholesterol?

When antioxidant foods first got a lot of media coverage, one of the foods that was called a “superfood” was blueberries. All of a sudden we were being told to eat blueberries. I remember reading about some media dermatologist, who said that they ate blueberries and salmon for breakfast every day. Recently it has been suggested that blueberries lower cholesterol. Expect another spike in blueberry consumption.

The main reason for the initial superfood categorization of blueberries was the presence of high levels of antioxidants. Blueberries were found to be high in anthocyanins and other antioxidants. They have the antioxidant, resveratrol, in their skins. Resveratrol is the compound found in red wine that is thought to have a range of health benefits (see this post on resveratrol).

Recently it has been shown that blueberries contain high levels of pterostilbene. This compound is related to resveratrol. It has been demonstrated that one action of pterostilbene is to activate the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha, or PPAR alpha. This receptor is a target for a class of cholesterol lowering drugs known as fibrates (e.g. Tricor, Lopid). The fibrates will lower cholesterol a significant amount in most people.

Though there are not yet any human studies, since pterostilbene is activating PPAR alpha, which is known to decrease in serum cholesterol, it does seem very likely that blueberries will lower cholesterol in humans.

So, add the cholesterol-lowering effect of blueberries to the evidence that blueberries may slow cognitive decline, perhaps have anti-cancer properties, are anti-inflammatory, and a small amount of evidence that blueberries may lower blood sugar. This provides further evidence that blueberries are a good food to eat as part of a balanced diet.

Blueberries for breakfast every day is a bit over the top. Though they are good for you, they are low in a number of essential nutrients. Balance is the key.

photo credit: Jennlang

[tags]blueberries, lower cholesterol, antioxidants, pterostilbene, resveratrol,

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