Reconciling Lifespan and Healthspan
Emily Rogalski quoted in the University of Chicago Magazine article, “Aging against the odds. The brains of aging outliers hold lessons for neuroscientists”:
‘“We’ve gotten good, as a medical community, at extending lifespan, but our health span is not keeping up. … We’re still extending this period of unhealthiness at the end,” she says. Superagers “really represent that better balance between lifespan and healthspan. It would be great to have a future where more people achieve that.”’
Aging Outliers Offer Valuable Lessons
Emily Rogalski, a University of Chicago scientist, studies both superagers (whom she defines as people over age 80 with memory performance at least as good as an average 50- to 60-year-old), as well as individuals at the other end of the aging spectrum—those with PPA, a disease that renders people unable to speak beginning in middle age. She believes these two extreme, and extremely rare groups, offer lessons in both brain resiliency and brain vulnerability.
The Joy of Living
When you add the terms lifespan + health span (the length of time a person spends in good health) the sum is the concept of joyspan. Coined by gerontologist Dr. Kerry Burnight, joyspan refers to a deep sense of well-being and fulfillment, particularly during the second half of life. It allows one to thrive, and not merely survive, while growing older. Burnight offers four “non-negotiables” for cultivating and lengthening your joyspan: grow, adapt, give, and connect. Read more about what each action means in the NYT “Well” column.
Clickbait or Clueless?
The San Francisco Chronicle today launched a new editorial project chronicling the rapid aging of the Bay Area’s population. The title of the lead article? “This is the real doom loop. It will change everything about life in the Bay Area.” Credit to the Chron for exploring this topic and its impact on all aspects of daily living. But the article’s headline feeds into the negative narrative around aging, and exacerbates the cycle of ageism. C’mon editors, do better!
Some Fitting Tarnish on the ‘Golden Bachelor’
The 66-year-old Golden Bachelor star, Mel Owens, is catching flak for saying he wouldn’t consider any female contenders over the age of 60. As Page Six reports, Owens told his producers that he wanted to “try to stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs.”
Chuck D and Flavor Flav Take On Ageism
In a new album that just recently dropped, Chuck D and Flavor Flav of the band Public Enemy set their sights on the irrationality of age discrimination and the dark side of tech. Read more on Spin about what inspired the new album.
Getting Into a Rhythm
Researchers confirmed the relationship between the body’s circadian rhythm and metabolic health. Getting into a rhythm is also critical to exercise performance and benefits. A new study found that working out early in the day, and maintaining consistency, achieved the best results. Read more about the findings at the link below.
Creatine on the Brain
Everyone’s talking about creatine these days. It’s become a popular supplement among women looking to build strength, particularly those in perimenopause and menopause. And, the findings of a recent pilot study show a potential positive link between creatine and brain function. Researchers stated that the results, while preliminary and limited in scope, indicate that creatine supplements can improve brain health among Alzheimer’s patients. More about the study can be found by following the link below.
Coffee’s Surprising Perk
Coffee drinkers expect a quick, short-term boost from their cup of joe, but a new study suggests that drinking coffee may have long-term health benefits as well. Researchers tracked the diets of more than 47,000 female nurses for multiple decades beginning in the early ‘70s. A positive correlation was found between the amount of caffeine the women consumed (typically from coffee) between the ages of 45 and 60 years, and the probability of aging well. Read more in the New York Times.
A Long-Term Plan for Aging
Experts predict a crisis in long-term care as demand grows and the number of available workers decreases. The industry is facing multiple challenges, including a rapidly aging population, the potential for an even more pronounced labor shortage due to punitive immigration policies, and cost-of-care increases equaling as much as 10 percent for some services. Furthermore, according to a recent poll, significant numbers of adults have misconceptions about long-term care coverage, and only a small percentage have an assisted living plan in place. How do you assess the likelihood of needing long-term care, and what options are available to you? The NYT offers some thoughts.
What We’re Reading
Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity, by Dr. Eric Topol, explores the burgeoning study and science of longevity. Topol, a cardiologist and molecular scientist, initially posited that genetic makeup was the key to a longer lifespan. However, further research found that lifestyle factors—including diet, exercise, and social connection—had a far greater impact on longevity. This revelation is welcome news, suggesting we all have some control when it comes to healthy aging. Read a review of the book at the Wall Street Journal.
What’s the Limit on Age Limits?
California Democrats, still reeling from the Presidential election, are exploring a mandatory retirement age for elected officials at the local and state levels. Notably, the specific age at which politicians would be required to retire has not yet been determined. While there’s been an unfortunate history of party leaders staying in office too long, is a blatantly ageist policy really the answer? Read more about what the Democrats, and others, think about age limits.
What We’re Watching
“Aging in America: Survive or Thrive,” a new documentary airing this month on PBS, is based on the groundbreaking book, “Why Survive? Being Old in America,” by gerontologist and activist Dr. Robert Butler (originator of the term “ageism”). The film takes a critical look at how older Americans have fared in the 50 years since Butler’s book was published. While some progress has been made, our elders deserve better, much better.
Grey Matter Matters
It’s critical to support brain health at every stage of life. Experts offer advice for improving and preserving cognitive wellbeing, beginning as children (focus on good nutrition and sleep), and extending through the teens (be aware of potential mental health and anxiety issues), midlife (pay attention to vascular health), and older adulthood (stay socially engaged). Read all of the recommendations at the San Francisco Chronicle.
Maybe, Don’t Come In From the Cold
New research found that cold-water immersion (14°C/57.2°F) has positive effects on cellular repair and resistance. Subjects, exposed for one hour daily, showed an increase in a critical biological protective mechanism after just one week. Read more about the (limited) study, and the link between cold exposure and longevity at SciTechDaily.
A Vaccine to Fight Dementia?
It might already exist. Advanced research conducted by Stanford Medicine found that the shingles vaccine may, in fact, do double duty: treating its intended target, and offering protection against developing dementia, lowering the risk by as much as 20%. The findings support a nascent medical hypothesis that viruses impacting the nervous system can negatively affect cognitive functioning. Read more about the groundbreaking study at Stanford News Center.
The Ultimate Aging Flex
Exercise has long been acknowledged as critical to healthy aging. However, older adults, especially those in their mid-60s and beyond, should refocus their routines to emphasize three key functions: balance, flexibility, and strength. The latter is perhaps most important as muscle mass starts to decline around age 50. Experts also advise that older adults need to exercise more frequently to see the same benefits as those realized by younger adults. Read more about how to switch up your workouts as you age, and why it’s never too late to start.
Going Deep
The documentary, “The Last of the Sea Women” explores the lives of haenyeos, the mostly older women (typically in their 70s), who sustain the ancient, yet dying, practice of gathering seafood from the reefs and sea floor surrounding their home off the coast of South Korea. They make between 100 and 300 dives per day, often in cold and challenging conditions. While the work is tough, the women are well respected and admired, and enjoy a position of distinction in local society—an anomaly in our #ageist world. Streaming on Apple TV+.
Are Older Workers the Key to AI Adoption?
New research found that – contrary to popular assumptions – midcareer and mature workers can be an asset in the successful rollout of AI tools. Generation, a global workforce nonprofit, identified a group of older “power users” who are significantly ahead of the curve in effectively implementing AI. Why have these individuals been successful? According to Generation, adoption requires not only technological expertise, but the ability to align AI with human values and knowledge, the latter being a strength of experienced employees. The organization further suggests that pairing younger and older workers would make an effective, intergenerational dream team, with the greatest likelihood of constructively deploying AI. Read more about the findings in Harvard Business Review.
Your Age Could Be Your Edge
Katerina Stroponiati is a venture capitalist with a unique approach to investing. Her singular - and contrarian - criterion for funding early-stage tech companies? Founders must be at least 50 years old. Stroponiati believes that wisdom, experience, connections, and credibility – characteristics most often associated with older professionals – are the intangibles critical to successful launches. Read more about her Brilliant Minds fund, and key research that supports her approach.