Aging healthfully: Address unhealthy behaviors and chronic conditions

By Jonathan Markley, DO

The average life expectancy in the U.S. is 77 years old. There are many factors that influence whether we have a long life or a shorter one. However, one thing is clear: Whatever age we reach, our goal is to maintain strong physical and mental wellness without developing chronic diseases, such as obesity, depression, high blood pressure, and diabetes. We call this aging healthfully. In this four-part series, we examine ways to achieve this through nutrition, exercise, and addressing habits and existing conditions. Today, let’s look at some behavioral or chronic issues that can impact our health in negative ways and increase heart disease and cancer risks. These include smoking, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea.

It really helps to stop smoking

Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States. Smoking increases your risk of heart disease by 2.5 times and beyond and can also lead to an 11-fold increased risk in lung cancer (the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.). One in three smokers dies with emphysema.

According to evidence-based medical data, the single best health change you or a loved one can make is to quit smoking. It is better than exercise, better than medications, and even better than diet. Within the first year of quitting, you should see a 36% reduction in cardiovascular events. However, this is not an easy change to make—nicotine is considered one of the most addictive substances on the planet. In fact, in 1988, Everett Koop, Surgeon General of the United States, declared nicotine as addictive as heroin. So, how can you get started?

Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669), visit www.smokefree.gov, or talk to your primary care provider about smoking cessation options, such as:

• Group or individual smoking cessation counseling
• Nicotine-replacement therapy
• Medications to help with cravings
• Cutting back to quit strategy: Reduce your daily usage gradually until it is zero

Smoking cessation offers several benefits outside of health. First, it will save you money—so you can enjoy an annual vacation instead of daily cigarettes. Your children will likely live longer since children of smokers have a three-fold increased risk of becoming smokers themselves. You may also live an average of 10 years longer if you do not smoke.

Don’t let high blood pressure lurk

High blood pressure is known as the silent killer because it initially has no symptoms. It can occur in adults of any age. High blood pressure damages your heart and blood vessels, leading to heart failure, stroke, blindness, heart attacks, and kidney disease.

The best way to prevent high blood pressure damage from taking you by surprise is to check your blood pressure often—at the doctor’s office, at home with an inexpensive automated blood pressure machine, or at the local drugstore. If your blood pressure is consistently high, it is time to speak with your doctor. There are several ways to lower your blood pressure that should be prescribed by your healthcare provider, and simple lifestyle changes are one of them. An exciting fact for anyone starting an exercise program is that a 30-minute walk may reduce blood pressure by as much as medication.

Sleep apnea is more common and more dangerous than you may think

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an under-recognized medical condition that affects up to 15-30% of males and 10-15% of females, when OSA is defined broadly as an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) or greater than five events per hour of sleep. Sleep apnea is marked by abnormal breathing during sleep, which prevents the body from getting its normal oxygen supply. That means our blood is deprived of critical oxygen, causing the release of cortisol and norepinephrine. These stress hormones make our hearts work harder and our blood pressure rise. Scientific studies have shown that severe sleep apnea patients may face more than three times the risk of premature death if left untreated.

These are possible warning signs of sleep apnea:

• Snoring loudly, sometimes choking in your sleep
• Tired during the day
• A loved one has said you stop breathing in your sleep
• Diagnosed with high blood pressure
• Obese (a BMI of 35 or greater)
• Over the age of 50
• A large neck circumference
• Male

If three or more of these signs sound like you, you should schedule a sleep test with your doctor.

As we wrap up this aging healthfully series, I hope you consider these three strategies to help yourself feel better, help prevent disease, and live a longer life. Focus on good nutrition (such as the Mediterranean diet), move more every day, and address habits and chronic conditions head-on to support your health today and to promote long-term healthful aging.

Continue reading articles from this series:

Aging Healthfully – Nutrition >>

Aging Healthfully – Mediterranean Diet >>

Aging Healthfully – Movement >>

Jonathan Markley, DO, is a physician anesthesiologist who serves as Chief of Anesthesia for North American Partners in Anesthesia (NAPA) at East Orange General Hospital in East Orange, NJ, and Director of Regional Anesthesia at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, NJ. He completed his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree at The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Osteopathic Medicine, and his postgraduate training at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine residency program in anesthesiology at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center.