3 Simple Rules to Beat the Downsides of Aging

By Venki Ramakrishnan, Science, November 26, 2024

While we wait for scientists to come up with a miracle pill, we can take matters into our own hands with easy steps to ensure that life in old age isn’t also the end of living well.

The Three Simple Rules

1. Maintain Social Connections: Many population studies point to loneliness resulting in poor health in old age. In an increasingly fragmented society, it’s essential to maintain and nurture our social connections as we age.

2. Have a Strong Sense of Purpose: People with a strong sense of purpose were healthier and less likely to die. One effective way to acquire a sense of purpose is to volunteer in activities that provide social interaction and bring benefits to the community or society.

3. Get Routine Checkups: Beyond these measures, there are some simple health precautions we should all take as we age. It is crucial to have routine and early checkups for blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.

Also Watch for These Factors

• Stress: Stress has widespread metabolic effects that are harmful for health and accelerate aging.

• Isolation: Many population studies point to loneliness resulting in poor health in old age. In an increasingly fragmented society, it’s essential to maintain and nurture our social connections as we age.

• Purpose: People with a strong sense of purpose were healthier and less likely to die.

Three Promising Measures to Keep Us in Good Health

1. Eat Less: A calorically restricted diet means consuming the bare minimum of calories while still getting all the nutrients we need. However, a moderate diet that is balanced should provide many of the benefits observed of a calorically restricted diet.

2. Keep Exercising: Physical activity turns on many of the pathways that stimulate mitochondrial production. It also helps maintain muscle and bone mass, counters diabetes and obesity, improves sleep, and strengthens immunity.

3. Get Adequate Sleep: All animals have the equivalent of sleep, because it is essential for life. Sleep is involved in repair mechanisms that prevent the buildup of damage to our cells, and sleep deprivation increases the risk of many diseases of aging.

Embracing the Synergy

The trio of diet, exercise, and sleep will together be more beneficial than any therapy currently. These three measures are all synergistic. Each of these will make it easier to carry out the other two.

Additional Measures

1. Early detection of breast, cervical, colorectal (bowel), skin, and prostate cancer can all improve clinical outcomes