Speaking at Washington College on January 7, 2010, Dr. Luigi Ferrucci, Director of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging, told the audience, “Aging is bad news in that our physical and cognitive function declines with age, but the very good news is that the aging process is so slow that it doesn’t always affect our quality of life.”
The study of aging is comparatively new. Studies are showing that we age in a smart way, undergoing physiological changes that serve as compensatory strategies to reduce the inevitable adverse effects of getting older. We may not even be aware of these changes, but we have a multitude of protective mechanisms. When one of these protectors fails, “normal aging” gives way to disease, often without an obvious cause.
Begun in 1958, the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging follows the lives of over 1400 people ranging in age from their 20’s to their 90’s, with regular measurements taken of physiological changes. It is the longest-running longitudinal study in the U.S. Aspects of the study include research on what distinguishes healthy 85-year olds from others at that age who have incurred disease.
He stressed just how complex body systems are, using hormone interactions as an example. Primary care physicians normally rely on specialists to address particular problems, but these problems may be interrelated, resulting in the need for medical specialists to maintain good communications. He compared this challenge to the Biblical Tower of Babel, a parable about a lack of understanding caused by different languages, competition, and pride.
Ferrucci offered a number of observations in response to questions from the audience of mostly seniors. Keep moving. A regular exercise regimen will not necessarily help you live longer but is a good predictor of healthy aging and quality of life. What you eat is very important. Emphasize fruits, vegetables, and fatty fish, because of its omega-3 content. Research contains contradictory evidence about coffee, but a small amount of wine daily is shown to be good for you.
“The way you view the aging process, positively or negatively, is going to affect your quality of aging,” he told USA Today in November. “If you talk to many old people, what they are really desperate about is not that fact that they’re going to die, but that they are going to be sick, dependent and have to rely on others,” Ferrucci added.
HomePorts, the local non-profit organization to help older adults age in their own homes, sponsored the forum.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.