I was asked this week what was the single most important parameter, change they could make or test that would help lead to increased longevity.  Reflecting on this answer it flashed thru my mind of do we really want longevity?  Think about it.  Would you want to live to 100 if your mind left you when you were 80, if you couldn’t get around, if you were alone…?? The better goal in my opinion is living our healthiest and best life that hopefully leads to a longer and fulfilling life.  So, now back to the question… what is the single most important parameter, change or test?  I am sure you are thinking – change your diet, eat organic, check cholesterol, exercise.  While all of these are important, the single most important thing you can do is to know where you are right now.  I heard a preacher say once, if you don’t know where you are going, you might just get there.  The person who just had a heart attack had issues start sometimes ten years prior, the diabetic who just lost their vision had most likely decades of poor blood sugars or the person who can’t walk because they are so weak didn’t exercise at all in the 10-20 years leading up to that point.  So many of our aging issues we are given warning signs decades before and if we make the right choices we might just be able to change the trajectory.

READ ON to learn what current assessments we need to be doing right now so we know where we are going…

  1. Know your numbers and what optimal ranges are. An optimal range is quite different than “normal” ranges when looking at blood tests.  Here are some key markers to consider in a different way…
    1. Hemoglobin A1C – this is a three month average of your blood sugar. Normal ranges are anything under 5.7 however optimal is closer to 5.2-5.4 and if you have a predisposition to Alzheimers/dementia then you need to target 5.0.
    2. Cholesterol – this is actually a complicated topic. First, you need to know if you have any genetic markers making your risk higher.  Lp(a) is the easiest one to measure and if this is elevated then you need to pay attention to all aspects of healthy living because this increases not only your risk of plaque development in your heart but your carotids, brain and other areas like legs known as peripheral vascular disease.  If this is elevated then current thinking is to target a lower LDL (below 70) until further therapies are available.  The second most important test is apo B – (apolipoprotein B).  If this is elevated then you know regardless of your LDL number that it is being carried off to go make plaque.  Now, we get to the regular cholesterol numbers.
      • HDL – > 50 for women, > 40 for men – these are the good guys
      • Triglycerides non-fasting less then 150 or fasting less than 75 – these have been shown to increase incidence of plaque formation all by itself
      • LDL – without Lp(a) – goal is less than 100
      • Particle sizes of the LDL and HDL should be large (this is a whole other newsletter so just know you can actually measure the sizes of these particles and if they are small they are not as good)
  1. Inflammation – the most common inflammatory marker is the high sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP). The higher the number the most inflammation you have.  This does not tell you where the inflammation is coming from though.  Regardless of where the origin is, studies show if this is elevated above 3 for several years the incidence of heart disease increases!  Look in your mouth, your gut or your joints for common culprits.
  2. Muscle mass – it is not easy to maintain an exercise routine as we age. Joint pain, surgeries and well…life get in the way and exercise becomes expendable.  Don’t fool yourself.  One of the key predictors of longevity is muscle mass.  Grip, legs and core are key strength areas that help keep you stable and prevent falls which is one of the most devastating injuries in the over 70 population.  Walking is great but if you are not doing some form of strength training then you are missing an important piece of the longevity puzzle.
  3. Social circle – study after study has shown that isolation in the elderly accelerate decline. Having strong social connections lead to longer, healthier lives.  Get involved!  Jump on meetup and find people with similar interests, get involved with your religion, join a book club, etc.  Build your community!
  4. Eat healthy – if you have excess weight, this alone increases inflammation and accelerates disease. I won’t belabor this point because we all know this.  Look up Metabolic syndrome which is a combination of 3 or more of these issues which means the health risks are exponential:
    1. Abdominal obesity: Women who have a waist more than 35 inches and men who have a waist more than 40 inches
    2. High blood pressure : above 130/80
    3. Impaired fasting blood glucose: greater than 100
    4. High triglyceride levels more than 150
    5. Low HDL (the good guys): see levels above
  5. Healthy Lifestyle Habits: you know the drill.  No smoking, limited alcohol, etc
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Take a moment and do an assessment.  Do YOU know where you are going?

To your health,

 

Laura