HEARThrive - Module 11A - Aging Study and Stories

The aging clinic took some basic physical measurements and they will track them over time. You can do the same. Simply record your height, weight, hip and waist size, and BMI (Body Mass Index).

Malcolm's blood pressure was measured at the clinic. If you get anxious at a doctor's office, your blood pressure might come in (falsely) high. In HEARThrive you are taught how to take your own blood pressure properly at home.

Malcolm has had quite a few EKG tests over the years to monitor his heart. The aging clinic did one as well. Even if you feel healthy it's a good idea to ask your doctor to be proactive and request an EKG on your behalf.

The aging clinic included a carotid intima media thickness test for Malcolm to gauge the health of his arteries. This test will be repeated in future visits and tracked over time. Different doctors have various opinions about the merit of a C-IMT test. Ask your doctor about it. The test takes just a few minutes and is painless, non-invasive, and uses no radiation.

Another test done at the aging clinic for Malcolm was a pulmonary function test. Your doctor might order this test if he suspects you have a bronchial problem. But even if you're healthy, it could be worth your while to request this test to assess your basic lung function. Meanwhile, try blowing up a balloon to do a crude test of your lung capacity.

Before joining the aging clinic Malcolm requested a bone scan in 2014 (age 65) and his doctor co-operated. The idea was to establish a baseline of bone health and then track it in future years. The aging clinic repeated the scan in 2017 and they will continue to do it periodically because bone health is a very important facet of aging. Whether you are a male or female, getting a bone scan is a smart move. You would undergo a DEXA scan, which has some radiation, but it's low. If you get a bad result you could make diet and lifestyle changes sooner than later to avoid serious complications from osteoporosis.

Malcolm knows he has damaged his hearing to some extent over the years. The aging clinic provided a hearing test that confirmed this. Lots of people delay or deny acknowledging their hearing loss. That could lead to difficulty communicating at work or at home, embarrassment in social situations and even a link to future memory loss (e.g. Alzheimer's). Be sure to get your hearing tested by a qualified audiologist. If it turns out that you should get a hearing aid, then get it. Don't let pride get in the way.

The aging clinic tracks eyesight because vision loss can creep up on you slowly and sometimes imperceptibly. Other times there could be physical problems developing such as cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration and blood vessel damage in the eyes due to diabetes. Sometimes people feel their vision is good so there's no need to see an optometrist. Even if you think everything is fine you are gambling with your vision if you avoid going to the eye doctor. Make a regular appointment at least every two years.

The aging clinic tests grip strength, but why? Because loss of muscle strength is associated with sarcopenia, which in turn is related to longevity. You don't have to lift heavy weights but you will benefit by doing a variety of exercises such as those shown in Module 4 of HEARThrive. Check it out.

Every time Malcolm returns to the aging clinic (approximately every 2 - 3 years), they will do a series of simple tests to gauge physical ability. These include your natural walking pace, the time it takes to rise from a chair and then sit - repeated 5 times, the ability to stand on one leg, and a test of your reflexes. Try doing the tests shown in this video. They're simple but meaningful.

At the aging clinic they asked some general questions about diet. There are 30,000 participants in the aging study. By tracking what everyone eats they may eventually be able to draw some conclusions about food versus healthy aging. You and I don't have the benefit of waiting for the results of this study. To begin making meaningful changes now I encourage you to watch two modules of HEARThrive that have a heavy focus on food (Module 2 and Module 8).

The tests at the Aging Clinic relating to memory are described in Section 3 (Lectures 13 - 18). They began with one that tests your ability to remember to do a simple task while being engaged in other potential distractions.

In this test you are given a letter of the alphabet ("F" for example) and need to say as many words (in 1 minute) as you can that start with that letter. It's a way of checking "Verbal Fluency." It seems easy enough but some people could struggle with this. Have some fun and try it yourself. The Aging Clinic tests people every few years to track this ability.

Malcolm explains that he has a problem of remembering a person's name. Is that a sign of memory loss? Not necessarily. Malcolm has struggled with name recall all his adult life for decades and yet his memory in other areas is perfectly fine. If you have problems with name recall you can improve by practicing certain strategies and simply just paying more attention when you meet a new acquaintance.

The Aging Clinic asked me to name as many animals as I could within 1 minute. This is a test for "Semantic Fluency." Here's how "Google" explains this test and why it is done... Semantic fluency is the ability to generate words belonging to a specific category within a limited time, typically one minute, according to some academic sources. It's a common neuropsychological test used to assess aspects of semantic memory, working memory, and executive function. In this test, a person is asked to name as many items as possible from a given category, such as "animals" or "fruits." As shown in this video, Malcolm found it's possible to improve your result by thinking of putting things into smaller, discrete categories. Try it yourself and see if the categorizing method works for you.

This story again relates to Malcolm's longstanding difficulty with name recall. Often, people who develop memory loss struggle with remembering things that happened very recently. Does that include remembering the name of someone you just met? Probably not, in my case. In fact, I can accurately remember everything I did on a typical day, right down to what I ate. How would you rate your short term memory?

Being lonely is a major contributor to aging poorly. That's why the Aging Clinic asks a lot of questions about a person's social network. Malcolm presents a story about how the support he provided to his mother-in-law has played a big role in her longevity. Ideally, you should be building a healthy and vibrant social network for yourself and maintaining loving connections as long as you can.

The Aging Clinic keeps track of your health history, which is something every person should pay attention to. It's obviously much better to "nip things in the bud," so to speak, than allow health problems to escalate and get out of control. Here Malcolm tells a story of his friend who was negligent about his health and almost paid the ultimate price.

Malcolm's visit to the Aging Clinic concluded with a battery of blood tests, 67 of them to be exact. As a HEARThrive student you can learn about a lot of important tests to obtain to discover clues about your health. You certainly don't need all the tests offered in the Aging Clinic, but you can certainly benefit by getting key tests on a regular basis and learning what they mean and how you can improve (rather than decline) as you age well.

From the Aging Clinic study you can clearly see there are many facets to aging. Be sure to engage in the helpful strategies covered in HEARThrive and be an active participant in your aging journey.

Timothy Treadwell spent 13 summers, mostly alone, studying grizzly bears in remote locations in Alaska. It came to an abrupt and tragic end in 2003. Yes, he pursued his passion, but the risks were too great. Timothy died at age 46.

Malcolm's personal heartfelt story about his father's death illustrates the importance of discussing choices with family members ahead of time to help avoid conflict and agony in making critical final decisions.

Euthanasia is a "touchy" subject that brings out a range of opinions, morally, ethically and practically. In some countries, the ability to choose when to die is a legal option (subject to qualifying and taking the appropriate steps). In other countries, the practice is strictly illegal. Malcolm's niece is against euthanasia and works passionately to educate and convince people around the world not to choose euthanasia.

All living things have an innate desire for survival - an instinctive will to live. Even a simple housefly demonstrates this trait. Today, many of us are feeling down and depressed, and yet we have so much to live for. This video might help you keep the will to live in perspective.

This story may get you thinking about your mortality. How much time do you have? In this story, a couple of seemingly innocent decisions (getting a flu shot, climbing a ladder) turned out to be unfortunate choices.