Living Until a Ripe Old Age

There are several lifestyle factors that will reduce your risk of dying prematurely

Medical science has exploded in the United States during the last few decades. Scientists have identified several lifestyle factors that will reduce your risk of dying prematurely. Each will lower your chances by up to 21%.

Some of the findings were revealed by American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Austin, Texas, last February. Claudia Kawas, professor of geriatric neurology at the University of California, has spent the last 15 years with her research team tracking data on 1,700 people who were aged 90 or more in 2003. It’s called the 90 + study. They have already published findings concerning frailty in this age group.

They have identified five factors that influence men’s lifespan.

• Weight: Being slightly overweight is best for this group. It reduced the risk of dying prematurely by half. Not only did modestly overweight people not die prematurely – they actually lived longer.
• Coffee: Drinking between 200 mg and 400 mg of caffeine a day reduces the risk of death by 10%.
• Exercise: 15 to 45 minutes of moderate exercise per day reduces the risk of death by 11%.
• Hobbies: Believe it or not this can provide the biggest reduction in mortality rate – 21%. Professor Kawas also spoke of keeping the brain active with social interaction.
• Alcohol: Two glasses of wine or a couple of beers a day lowered the risk of death by 18%.

The lead author of this new research stressed that, “People should try to incorporate as many of these things into their day to give themselves the best chance of living a ripe age.”

While ago, I reached the 88-year-old mark. My secret to a long, healthy life: Someone to love, something to do, something to look forward to.