Gene therapy. Stem cells. CRISPR. Every day we see new, powerful and revolutionary tools in the field of medicine emerge and progress. Perhaps aging and death will one day be defeated. But not yet. What needs to be done in order to increase life expectancy now? How to delay that inevitable moment when the body refuses to support life, when the last resources run out? We turned to the experts with this question.
How to protect yourself from premature death and postpone the approach of old age?
Andrey Melnikov, doctor of the highest category, chief specialist of the TeleMed remote health service.
“Old age and death are inevitable. The causes and mechanisms of aging have haunted researchers for many decades.
Scientists of the University. Max Planck was unable to find a single quality among centenarians that would unite above average life expectancy, except for good heredity. Alas! Changing genes is still somewhat problematic.
But already in adolescence it is necessary to think about an active long life. “Old age is strong thanks to the foundations laid in youth,” said Mark Cicero.
Conscious longevity! This is a system that includes a way of life, habits, views on the present and the future, a culture of thought, health care, which is the basis of longevity. As you know, the efficiency of a system is much greater than the simple sum of its constituent parts. In addition to such things (the story of which turns into a commonplace), as quitting tobacco, drinking and other risk factors, physical activity, good sleep, regular sex, there are less obvious points. This is a conscious decision to form a way of thinking aimed at resistance to stress and positive emotions, avoiding negative ones. “Happiness excludes old age. Whoever retains the ability to see beauty does not age,”said Franz Kafka.
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Meditative exercises and techniques for managing emotions to help a conscious centenarian.
Along with proper nutrition, which includes restricting calories, consumption of animal protein, and most importantly sugar and "fast" carbohydrates, it is necessary to avoid all kinds of "excessive". Constant mental activity is just as important as physical activity. It is necessary to study, learn, speak, ponder and reflect. Read, delve into, watch, form your own opinion, learn languages, think about others and in no case stand still.
According to WHO expert estimates, life expectancy is much more dependent on lifestyle and ecology than on the development of medicine. Nevertheless, a conscious long-liver is obliged to use its capabilities. Regular preventive examination (prophylactic medical examination) allows detecting many diseases at the earliest stages, which makes their treatment simple and effective.
Following the system of conscious longevity is also a choice. And not easy. How difficult it is not to fall into temptation! Maybe someone just rely on genes? This is also a choice. Only in this case it is necessary to meet old age prepared."
How to postpone the onset of old age?
Mikhail Yugai, General Director of the International Medical Cluster Foundation.
“The standard of living in the modern world is growing, medicine is actively developing, and these changes allow people to live longer and longer: according to the UN report, it is expected that by 2050 in most countries the number of elderly people will more than double (from 962 million to 2, 1 billion). Of course, I want to live not just longer - I want to maintain a high quality of life for as long as possible.
Today Russia ranks 110th out of 183 countries in terms of life expectancy. Chronic non-communicable diseases are the cause of 80% of deaths in Russia, while the global mortality rate from this type of disease is 20% lower. Why? Lifestyle, habitat and heredity can be identified as the main factors. Note that we cannot influence only the latter.
For those who want to live long, there are two recommendations that you can follow right now. This is an effectively built system of prevention and lifestyle changes.
Speaking about prevention, it is worth noting that in our country the habit of regularly undergoing examinations is not formed, most of them go to the doctor at the later stages of the disease, when full recovery is impossible and requires significant financial costs. To discipline Russians, it is necessary to introduce the practice that exists in Western countries: if a person who has not undergone mandatory screening is found to have a disease, then the patient pays for the treatment. While this system does not exist in Russia, you can discipline yourself on your own and undergo regular examinations: screening diagnostics (check-up) are carried out both in private centers and in public institutions, where you can undergo a full examination in a short time.
A healthy lifestyle is even more important for a long and quality life. Most diseases can be prevented or delayed by negating risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity. Physical inactivity is an independent risk factor for chronic disease and is estimated to cause 1.9 million deaths worldwide. In addition, according to WHO estimates, physical inactivity is the main cause of about 21-25% of breast and colon cancers, 27% of diabetes and about 30% of coronary heart disease.
Just 30 minutes, five times a week, of moderate-intensity physical activity will reduce the risk of developing these noncommunicable diseases, and avoiding alcohol will reduce the frightening number of deaths from excessive drinking: 3 million deaths, accounting for 5.3% of all deaths.
Recommendations for a healthy and long life seem obvious and simple, but it is their observance that can prolong life and improve its quality."
How to live happily ever after?
Inna Anisimova, CEO of PR Partner.
“First, you need to monitor your weight. You will not find fat people among centenarians. Being overweight is a heart problem and a leading cause of type 2 diabetes, a disease that kills more people every year than HIV.
Secondly, it is worth diluting your active lifestyle with physical activity. There are studies showing that lack of movement is almost as bad for the body in the long term as smoking.
The constant use of mobile phones also has a deplorable effect on us. Everywhere: in playgrounds, in cafes, in museums - people are sitting on their phones instead of enjoying life around and communicating with loved ones. This is bad for posture, eyes, and ultimately psychological well-being.
In addition, from my own experience, I realized that it is much more beneficial to go on vacation for a week every three months than to be out of work for a full month. The brain is so rebooted in time, and professional burnout does not have time to take over the mind and body."
Ilya Khel