The Science of Staying Young

If someone asked you to predict how long you will live, chances are you would base your answer, in part, on the life span of your parents. Undoubtedly, genetics do play a powerful role in longevity.

What you may not realize: Anywhere from 50% to 80% of a person’s longevity is determined by factors within our control.

Even though you may be surprised to learn that the lifestyle choices you make each day have such a profound impact on how long you live, there is a simple principle to keep in mind if you want to extend your life span.

How to live as long as possible: Improve the health of the cells in your body. With each decade we live, our cells divide less rapidly. This slowdown is associated with declines in muscle mass and bone strength and with the onset of chronic diseases, such as heart disease.

We can’t stop this process altogether, but we can slow the rate at which it occurs. Research shows that by eating a healthful diet, exercising regularly, avoiding dangerous behaviors (such as smoking) and taking certain steps to protect general health, many people could add a decade or even more to their lives.

Specific actions that can give you a longer — and healthier — life…

1. Keep your balance. Falling is among the strongest predictors of premature disability and death. Most falls are due to impaired balance, which is caused by declines in muscle strength, decreased flexibility and nerve degeneration.

Try the dance test: To assess a ­patient’s balance, I dance with him/her in my office. If the ­patient has trouble following dance steps… can’t lift his feet off the ground… or has trouble balancing during turns, there may be a potentially dangerous problem with gait and/or balance.

My recommendation: Perform balance-specific exercises once a day (for 15 to 30 seconds per exercise).* Examples…

2. Increase your “SPA.” People who exercise tend to live longer and remain healthier — but it’s possible to gain even greater benefits by getting more spontaneous physical activity (SPA), daily physical exertions that complement “formal” exercise routines.

Suppose you burn 200 calories daily by walking about an hour at a leisurely pace. That’s a good start, but you’ll do better if you find ways to stay active the rest of the time. A study of older adults ages 70 to 82 found that for every 287 calories expended per day during physical activities (primarily SPA), they increased their chances of living longer by 68%.

My recommendation: Boost your SPA by doing housework, for example, or gardening.

3. Supplement with testosterone. Traditionally, testosterone replacement has been recommended only for men with extremely low levels of the hormone. Yet there’s good evidence that millions of American men — and women — with even slightly low testosterone levels could benefit from replacement therapy.

Men with low testosterone have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and are more likely to suffer from depression and fatigue. In addition, there appears to be a link between low testosterone and Alzheimer’s disease. In women, low testosterone is a leading cause of low libido along with declines in muscle mass and bone density.

My recommendation: Get tested for bioavailable testosterone (the form that’s available to the body’s tissues) if you suffer from chronic fatigue, moodiness or depression — or if you’ve noticed a decline in libido and/or sexual function. Low testosterone can be treated with a gel or patch (usually at a starting dose of 5 mg for men) or with twice-monthly injections. (Women typically are prescribed a lower dose.)

New alternative for men: A small, tablet-like testosterone-replacement product that is held between the cheek and gum.

Important: There’s been some concern that long-term testosterone replacement might increase the risk for prostate cancer in some men. Although the research has not definitively found this association, I suggest that men using testosterone play it safe and get an annual prostate examination and prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test.

4. Get more alpha lipoic acid. It’s a very powerful antioxidant (more potent than vitamin E) that reduces free-radical damage within the mitochondria, the energy-producing parts of cells. Damage to the mitochondria is thought to be a main cause of cellular aging.

My recommendation: Eat more foods that are high in alpha lipoic acid (such as spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes, green peas and brussels sprouts). If you have diabetic neuropathy, painful nerve damage that often occurs in people with diabetes, take 600 mg of alpha lipoic acid daily. The same dose also may improve memory and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

5. Consume alcohol. Red wine is widely recognized for its heart-protective effects, but recent research has found that any alcoholic beverage, including hard liquor (such as vodka or whiskey) and beer, can help you live longer.

Why is this so? Cell membranes get more rigid with age, impairing the ability of molecules to effectively communicate with one another. Alcohol is thought to make the cell membranes less rigid and to improve cellular functions.

My recommendation: Men should consume no more than two drinks daily… and women no more than one drink daily.

6. Drink green tea. It has a five-to tenfold higher concentration of polyphenol antioxidants than black tea. One such antioxidant, epigallocatechin, improves the liver’s ability to break down potential carcinogens, potentially reducing cancer risk. People who drink three or more cups of green tea daily also are less likely to experience age-related cognitive declines.

My recommendation: For cancer-fighting and brain-protective effects, drink three or more cups of green tea daily.

*Make sure that someone is with you to monitor your balance when you first try these exercises.