Wish to Live to 110?

According to a BBC report, in 2012 the United Nations estimated that there were about 316,600 people over 100 years of age who are living around the world. By 2050, that number is expected to rise to over three million. Would you not want to be one among them?

A study titled "Characteristics of 32 Supercentenarians" reports that "Data collected thus far suggest that supercentenarians markedly delay and even escape clinical expression of vascular disease toward the end of their exceptionally long lives. A surprisingly substantial proportion of these individuals were still functionally independent or required minimal assistance." Supercentenarians (SCs) are people who belong to the exclusive club of those who live to 110 or older. 

The Ageing Analytics Agency, in collaboration with the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) reports: "Lifestyle plays almost no factor in health and longevity after the age of 80." That means all those who make it to 80 then depend upon their genetic cards to carry them forth. So, making it to age 80 years is more about lifestyle factors and choices one has made in life. And they also fall back on their “super” immune systems.

So, what were the key factors contributing to longevity alongside genetics:

1.  Relationships and social inclusion: Kindness, love, and a strong sense of community are contributing factors.Longevity.Technology.com says that love really may be all you need when it comes to living longer. And of course, a “super” immune system.

2.   Socio-economic status: The study finds that higher standards of living and sanitation, availability of connectivity and communication as well as the spending on public health all have a positive impact on Longevity. Another study found that the currently available data indicate that Japan is the country with the highest number of currently alive SCs. Interestingly, Puerto Rico would show the highest prevalence of SCs among people who reach extreme longevity (EL);

3. Brain activity: A study titled "Neuropathology of supercentenarians - four autopsy case studies" found that neuropathological alterations associated with ageing were mild to moderate in the supercentenarian brain, suggesting that these individuals might have some neuroprotective factors against ageing. The Ageing Analytics Agency, in collaboration with the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) study found for the first time that neural activity is higher in individuals with shorter life spans and lower in those who live longer; 

4.  Physical activity: Those who live longer are also able to retain mobility and bodily functions longer and more efficiently. Regular exercise has significant health benefits, and could even improve symptoms of Alzheimer’s; 

5.  Healthy diet: The research team found that it is important to eat a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, healthy fats, calcium and vitamin D, while also taking a daily multivitamin. Filomena Taipe Mendoza, 116 years old resident of Peruvian mountains reportedly told the BBC that she has been eating a natural diet of potatoes, goat meat, sheep's milk, goat cheese and beans, cooking only items she grows from her own garden, and has never eaten processed foods; 

6. Conscientious: Those who are self-disciplined and goal-orientated live longer, as well as potentially having lower blood pressure, and less risk of psychiatric conditions, diabetes, heart and joint problems.

In their book The Longevity Project, the authors Drs Howard Friedman and Leslie Martin have cited an eight-decade-long study of 1,528 participants that was begun by Dr Lewis Terman in California in 1921. They conclude: "It was not those who took life easy, played it safe, or avoided stress who lived the longest." They explain that instead, those who live longer had "an often-complex pattern of persistence, prudence, hard work, and close involvement with friends and communities."

It is not just living longer that is important but having the quality of life as well. In other words, if you can do things independently then living longer has its benefits. Otherwise, it becomes a burden on the family, community and nation. We could see living longer to 150 as feasible with technology improving and replacing body parts that are no longer functioning well.

Enjoy life at whatever age you are in and give thanks to your Creator!

Source: https://www.nytimes.com

Reference:

Wish to live to be 110 or older? Checklist of things you should be doing as shown by longevity study, Kirti Pandey, September 4, 2021 (https://www.timesnownews.com)