Life expectancy has become much longer than before. Although it is possible to live longer today, many people are not healthy in this life. External and internal factors affect health and reduce the quality of life. In order to age successfully, it is necessary to pay attention to some points. The factors that determine our chances of successful aging are also partly due to our genetic makeup, but many are under our control.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FOLLOWED IN THE STUDY
A new study followed 7,000 middle-aged Canadians to determine which factors are associated with excellent health later in life. The findings of a new study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health uncovered many factors that contribute to optimal aging. Consistent with other definitions from the study, the notion of optimal aging in the study included the absence of memory problems, mental illness, disabling pain, and lack of adequate social support.
MOST PARTICIPANTS MAINTAINED HEALTH THROUGHOUT THE STUDY
The study used data from 7,651 participants aged 60 and over. However, the final sample was limited to patients who were in excellent health at baseline, 45 percent of respondents. The study’s first author, Mabel Ho, said she was surprised at the number of people who maintained excellent health over the three-year study. She said: “We were surprised and delighted to learn that more than 70 percent of our sample remained in excellent health throughout the study period.
“Our findings underscore the importance of a strength-based focus rather than a deficiency-based focus on aging and older adults. The media and researchers tend to ignore the positives and focus only on the problems.”
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF PERFECT HEALTH
According to the data, three-quarters of participants aged 55 to 64 at the start of the study maintained excellent health over the three-year period. About half of those aged 80 and over had excellent health. The research found that participants who were more likely to maintain excellent health throughout the study had the following common factors:
- They never smoked
- No history of heart disease or arthritis
- had higher incomes
- They did not suffer from insomnia
- were women
- They were not obese.
LESS RISKS OF DEVELOPING COGNITIVE, PHYSICAL, AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS
Those who had these factors in common were less likely to develop debilitating cognitive, physical, or emotional problems. “It is remarkable that half of those aged 80 and over maintained this extremely high bar of cognitive, physical and emotional well-being during the three years of the study,” added Doctor Ho.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS IMPORTANT
The data showed that adults who did moderate to strenuous physical activity were 35 to 45 percent more likely to age well. Participants who had no or occasional sleep problems at baseline were 29 percent more likely to maintain excellent health throughout the study. Older adults who had never smoked were 46 percent more likely to be healthy during the same period.