You can’t change your chronological age, but you can control your biological ageing
Have you ever been surprised to learn someone is much older chronologically than they look? You thought Fred was 60 years of age and subsequently you found out he was over 80.
Conversely, you may have observed someone we will call Joe, who moved and looked like he was 80 and you were shocked to find out he was only 60. There can be many reasons why Joe has aged to the extent that he has; he may have been a smoker, heavy drinker, may have had cancer, a disease, or been exposed to other risk factors.
In contrast, Fred may have had a healthy lifestyle, pursued daily vigorous activity, and was consuming a healthy diet. I have only used male examples as you do not talk about a woman’s age, unless you are referring to the late Queen or my old mum, both of whom were 96 when they passed, and their age was a badge of honour.
An important introductory message here is, you can’t change your chronological age, but you can control your biological ageing. Your biological age is the age of your mind and body, and it is assessed by measuring several biomarkers. Biological, or physiological, ageing does not need to be commensurate with chronological ageing, disability is not mandatory, and decrepitude is not inevitable. In the words of Doctor Walter Bortz, Use it or lose it!
Finally, if you want to slow down your biological ageing, you need to do something about it. Remember, No one ever made a difference from doing the same thing. If you want to improve your health and fitness, you will need to make changes to your lifestyle. As you will read elsewhere on this Website, If you think you can or if you think you can’t, you are probably right!
Successful Ageing
What is Successful Ageing? Why Bother?
I have been asked by some, why do they need to bother with successful ageing? If you have a good diet and you get plenty of exercise you are probably pursuing it, at least in part.
However, in the words of the late George Burns, who passed at 100 y.o.a. “Too many older people practice playing old. They think themselves into their dotage by adopting what they consider to be the expected mannerisms and lifestyle of the elderly. That lifestyle is long on inactivity and semi-dependence and short on vigorous exercise and self-reliance.”
As we will observe, 67% of our population are either overweight or obese, approximately 90% consume insufficient fruit and vegetables and about 40-50% of over 55’s are physically inactive.
These are behavioral and biomedical risk factors that can be avoided. However, many people are misguided or find it easier to take medication. Accordingly, a high proportion of the 65+ persons are on multiple forms of medication, which may resolve one problem and create another. In fact, no one can predict the cumulative side effects when multiple forms of medication consumed by one patient.
When you consider our indigenous population, these problems are much more concerning. However, that problem is currently beyond the scope of this research. If you have any of these, or other risk factors you are part of the typical or usual ageing pattern in Australia, which is becoming increasing proportion of the population.
Too many older people practice playing old. They think themselves into their dotage by adopting what they consider to be the expected mannerisms and lifestyle of the elderly. That lifestyle is long on inactivity and semi-dependence and short on vigorous exercise and self-reliance.
The late George Burns, who passed at 100 years of age
Risk Factors and a Few Alarming Stats…
Behavioral risk factors, include inactivity and consuming unhealthy food, smoking, drugs, and drinking to excess. These risk factors can result in biomedical risk problems that including overweight, loss of muscle mass, reduced bone density, osteoarthritis, heart disease and cancer. The majority of these Biomedical risk factors can be eliminated if we simply improve our lifestyle. Almost all persons over the age of 65 are on some form of prescribed medication and 80% are on two (2) or more prescribed drugs.
Here are a few very alarming statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Facts About Cholesterol
The percentage of Australians using cholesterol lowering drugs (statins) was 44% in 2016 and much higher for the over 65 age cohort.
Heart, Stroke & Vascular Disease
Of all deaths in Australia are attributed to diseases of the circulatory system.
Overweight & Obesity
Adults who were overweight or obese, increased from 63% in 2014-2015.
Prescribed Medication
Adults 65+years old, are on one (1) or more prescribed drugs.
Three Potential Life Curves
The research identifies three potential ageing curves, which are identified in the diagram, and are summarised as follows:
The Typical/Usual Life Curve shows a steep decline in the ageing process from age 35 and has been described as a steep ski slope.
The Pessimistically/Optimistic Life Curve shows a lesser decline, where someone has a more optimistic approach to lifestyle.
The Successful Ageing Life Curve strives to maintain, as close as possible, the physical and mental attributes of a 35-year-old until the end, where you drop off life’s cliff. Clearly some decline will be inevitable. This theory also includes compressed morbidity.
Sadly, you’ll note that your body begins to age at 35yrs!
This website is encouraging you to pursue your own successful ageing life curve and live the dream, See Figure 1. Remember life is not a dress rehearsal
The Three Ageing Curves
Source: Adapted from Paffenbarger & Olsen (1996)
Usual ageing, as described, follows the normal course of ageing with gradual loss of strength and declining immune functions with advancing age. Rowe & Kahn, suggested that usual ageing might result in age-linked increases in blood pressure, body weight, and serum cholesterol levels, which may be usual in the population that is most frequently studied and these risk factors may result in cardiovascular disease or cancer (Rowe & Kahn, 1987).
Usual ageing may result in an older person having reduced function or disease which may cause them to be disabled or to fall below the disability threshold. The disability threshold is when the day-to-day functioning of an individual is reduced to a stage when they can no longer function without assistance. A diagram adapted from WHO (2002) shows the disability threshold below.
Usual Ageing
Source: Adapted from WHO, 2002
Early Identified Components of Successful Ageing
Rowe & Kahn sought to distinguish successful ageing from what they described as the usual pattern of ageing that results in early disability and morbidity, which they argued do not need to form part of the ageing process. In their theory, an older person with optimum health could avoid disability and disease, which is frequently seen as an integral part of the ageing process. The Rowe & Kahn Model (1998) of successful ageing contains three characteristics which are shown in Figure 3 and described as follows:
Low risk of disease and disease related disability;
High mental and physical function; and
Active engagement with life.
Disability Threshold
If someone is pursuing the usual life curve there is a strong chance of falling below the disability threshold, which is indicated in the following diagram.
The hypothetical disability threshold is when a person can no longer look after their own daily needs and requires assistance to undertake normal functions. While this level of decrepitude can often result from disease or cancer it could also be a result of usual ageing.
As we have seen above, usual ageing is frequently a result of exposure to behavioural and biomedical risk factors, which can in turn result in a person having a lowered immune response and being vulnerable to infection.
One of the key problems with ageing is that most people feel that disability and decrepitude are inevitable. This attitude is one of the key factors that will be discussed subsequently.
An observation by Marilyn Ferguson is most relevant: Of all of the self-fulfilling prophecies in our culture, the assumption that ageing means decline and poor health is probably the deadliest .
The risk factors, which control our destiny, will be considered in the following section.
Source: Rowe & Kahn, 1998
