“Inflammaging” leads to higher rates of inflammatory diseases as we age which include infections, heart disease, cancers, autoimmune diseases, and dementia. Higher markers of inflammation that can be seen in these conditions include C-reactive protein, homocysteine, interleukins, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. An anti-inflammatory diet, which includes mostly fruits and vegetables, healthy spices (turmeric, ginger and garlic), omega 3 oils, nuts, low sugar, and specific supplements is the best way to control “inflammaging.”
Keep Your Teeth as Long as You Can
Friedman and Lamster (63) found that those who lived to be 100 years old had lost fewer teeth than those who did not live as long. The authors described that tooth loss predicts a shorter life. Those that lived longer had lower tooth loss because they engaged in healthier lifestyle, smoked less, and had better oral hygiene. The authors noted that loss of teeth impaired one’s ability to chew important foods for health.
More Sleep is Better
A regular sleep schedule may help you live longer and increase life expectancy. An adequate amount of rest of 6-9 hours per night is recommended Avoid erratic sleep patterns which can put one at higher risk for premature heart disease or cancer. Insufficient sleep has been associated with being overweight, heart disease, diabetes and higher mortality (64).
Stay Well Hydrated
Inadequate hydration may be associated with adverse health conditions. Good hydration maintenance may prevent chronic diseases such as kidney stones, constipation, exercise induced asthma, elevated blood glucose, urinary tract infections, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, thrombosis leading to embolism, ischemic stroke, and lung disease (65). The average sized person eating an average diet in the U.S. consumes 2.5 liters per day of water per day (66). Consume adequate water for hydration (at least 2 liters or 8, 8 ounce glasses per day), unless a water limiting diagnosis such as heart failure or cirrhosis is present which may limit fluid intake to as low as 1 liter per day.
Keep a Lookout Over Your Own Body
Keep a watchful eye for unusual changes of the body. Many people have come to see their doctor after a certain concerning problem has been going on for a year or more after the problem has become much worse. Look for wounds that are not healing, skin problems, ongoing cough, persistent shortness of breath, ongoing pain, lasting fevers, unexplained weight loss, lumps and other new problems which do not go away.
Avoid Risky Behaviors That Can Get the Best of You
Avoid behavior with excessive risk including high speed driving, motorcycle riding without a helmet, unprotected sex outside marriage, and multiple sex partners.
Avoid Smoking to Live Longer and Increase Life Expectancy
Avoid tobacco smoking to live longer and increase life expectancy. Kristina SA, et al found that about 1/3 of cancers and cancer related deaths are related to tobacco smoking (67).Quit tobacco abuse with assistance from experts using a combination of several methods to assist in cessation. For instance, combine nicotine replacement with at least one additional method such as an exercise program, hypnosis, or formal counseling such as support groups. The recommendation to counsel patients to stop smoking, stop using tobacco products, and provide methods of cessation is reinforced by the USPSTF (68). Many resources are available to assist in smoking cessation such as the online sites, Smoke Free, the CDC and the phone number for free help 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
Keep a Sense of Humor
Increase life expectancy and live longer with a sense of humor. Romundstad S et al (69) studied the connection between a sense of humor and the risk of mortality in over 53,000 subjects followed for 15 years in the Nord-Trøndelog Health Study in Norway. The authors found that a sense of humor was related to survival from both infections and cardiovascular disease in women. Humor was also associated with a lower risk of mortality from infections in men.
Maintain an Ideal Bodyweight
Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of over 30 and is not only associated with the development of diabetes, it is also associated with higher mortality. See how to prevent diabetes. Sun H et al (70) evaluated the association of body mass index (BMI) and the risk of mortality in over 123,000 Chinese men and women. The authors found that BMI was associated with mortality in a U shaped curve. Men and women had a higher risk of dying if they had a BMI that was either low or high. The lowest risk of mortality in men was seen in those with a BMI between 24 and 28. The global BMI mortality collaboration reviewed over 10 million participants in 239 studies and found that obesity was associated with an increase in all-cause mortality spanning four continents (71).
New Research on Coffee
According to new research, coffee may help you live longer and increase life expectancy, but be careful with the amount of caffeine. Lui JJ et al (72) studied the association of telomere length with 4,780 coffee drinkers in the Nurses Health Study. Telomeres are the repeating nucleotide sequence at the end of chromosomes. Longer telomere length is associated with longer lifespan, and telomeres become shorter with oxidative processes and aging. A longer telomere length was seen with increasing amounts of coffee consumption mainly in those who drank more than 2 cups of coffee daily.