Intelligence and aging
"High IQ ages women"
Why does this happen, what is the biological age and for what reasons it often does not coincide with the calendar? Vladimir Anisimov, President of the Gerontological Society of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, answered these and other questions to Rosbaltu.
– Vladimir Nikolaevich, how was it possible to identify the relationship between the IQ and the difference in the rate of male and female aging?
– Gender differences in the problem of longevity were found during the study of the relationship between the intensity of a person's mental activity and his age. It turned out that high IQ leads to longevity in men, and vice versa in women. The reason may be the additional responsibilities that women bear in the family and at work and which force them to constantly live under stress. And this is one of the main factors hindering life expectancy.
– But what does IQ have to do with it if it's all about stress?
– The fact is that a woman with a high IQ has to constantly prove her worth to men. Otherwise, she will simply be pushed aside by representatives of the stronger sex, they will not recognize her rights. After all, men still have priority in key areas.
– Doesn't a woman with a low IQ have to prove her worth?
– She also has to, but she doesn't have to compete with men for high positions. A woman with a low IQ, as a rule, does not rush up the career ladder herself. This means that there are fewer reasons for stress.
At the same time, all this strongly depends on the national characteristics of the country. In the USA, according to American studies, a woman lives 6 years longer if her husband graduated from college, even if she herself does not have a higher education. This is not the case in Russia.
– What's the connection here?
– Direct. If the head of the family has received a higher education, the standard of living is higher in this cell of society, the lifestyle is more correct, reasonable, healthy and harmonious. By the way, this is happening all over the world: people with high incomes live the same way in all countries, regardless of the system – capitalist, socialist or otherwise. High incomes give access to better nutrition, better medicine. More money means more opportunities. In the USA, a person receiving $65,000 a year lives several years longer than a person receiving $22,000.
It is also necessary to take into account the fact that in the West, men with a high IQ in old age, as a rule, are provided for, smoke little or non-smokers in general, drink strong alcohol in moderation, play sports, are treated by good doctors, rest normally. And men with a low level of intelligence often lead a disorderly lifestyle, do not care about health. Hence the result.
– It turns out that it is easier for a woman not to have an education – without a diploma she will live calmer and longer?
– That's not quite true. The level of education in the West is very high. Moreover, the number of women who graduated from college or university there is sometimes even more than men. In Russia, the situation is also not much different. Look at our universities – how many women study at institutes and universities! The level of education increases life expectancy by itself. It's just that for men, a high IQ prolongs life much more: they only need to compete with each other. And women are forced to compete with each other and with men. They have a double or even triple load, if you take into account the household.
– You once said that each generation has its own biological age. What does this mean?
– During the study of a number of physiological and psychological factors in the inhabitants of Sweden, a clear connection between the biological age of a person and belonging to different generations was revealed. For example, people born in 1922, the biological age lagged significantly more behind the passport age than those born in 1906. That is, people who were 70 years old according to their passport, born in 1922, were biologically younger than those born in 1906. And it correlated mainly with the level and duration of education. Sweden is a unique country, because there have been no major upheavals, wars, and a standard way of life has been observed for a century. Therefore, the results of this study can be trusted. That is, the reasons for longevity are still the same: education and lifestyle. The higher the education, the better the lifestyle. And the longer life itself.
The profession also has a strong effect on this. For example, accelerated aging was detected in heavy truck drivers, especially those whose work experience is 20 years or more. As well as nurses, surgeons, anesthesiologists and those doctors who should be on duty regularly at night.
– How can a person find out his biological age?
– There are special gerontological techniques for this – there are about 40 of them. These are physiological, psychological, mental tests. For example, the compression force of the hand, blood pressure, body weight, glucose level after exercise, visual and hearing acuity, thickness of wrinkles and other skin folds, working capacity, etc. Are you able to run a distance on a treadmill, "ride" on an exercise bike, swim in the pool…
– Does IQ also affect the biological age?
– Biological age is related to lifestyle. In general, humanity is continuously aging, people in developed countries are living longer and longer. According to data obtained at the German Institute for Demographic Research of the Max Planck Society, every year the life expectancy of humans as a biological species increases by three months. If in the XIX century people lived in Europe for an average of 32 years, now they are already over 70. For more than a hundred years of the Nobel Prize's existence, the average age of the laureates has been continuously increasing. The average life expectancy of Nobel laureates is higher than that of academics; academics, in turn, are higher than professors – and so on. At the same time, mathematicians live less than scientists of other specialties. And female mathematicians live less than male mathematicians.
– Is there a limit to the increase in life expectancy?
– Of course, it will come sooner or later. But civilization is gradually pushing this final barrier further and further away. What is civilization? This is, among other things, a lifestyle. For example, after the invention of refrigerators, we got another opportunity to avoid death from infectious diseases. Refrigerators have saved people from infection more than any medicine. The products stopped spoiling – and that's it.
Another example. Germany is a fairly homogeneous country. After its division into two parts in 1949, the death rate in Germany was lower than in the GDR. And this is despite the fact that the GDR at that time was considered a showcase of socialism. And when the Berlin Wall fell, both parts of the reunited country actually equaled this indicator in 10 years. So, for a negligible period by historical standards, it is possible to significantly change the life expectancy of people.
The lifestyle includes not only habits, but also the attitude of the state towards an ordinary citizen: medical examination, disease prevention, investments in healthcare and care for the elderly. We must not forget that we are indebted to every passing generation. But our state has not treated the elderly very humanely until recently. Once upon a time, the former Minister of Health even said that, unfortunately, the number of pensioners is growing rapidly.
Meanwhile, our population is aging, the proportion of elderly people is increasing, as elsewhere, at a phenomenal pace. In this sense, Europe is in the same demographic situation as we are. It's just very important that society is ready for this. It is necessary to increase the retirement age, this is clear to all reasonable people – but, unfortunately, they are trying to play on the moods of the most ignorant part of the population… A man who is kicked out of work at the age of 65 quickly dies. Whereas at this age, people, especially the educated, have quite a high intellectual potential. This is experience, knowledge. According to the concepts of gerontology, the elderly are not a burden, but a resource. I really like this slogan. Let such a person sometimes work slower than a younger one, but he is valuable to others. What young people don't have.
– I know a lot of people who are actively working, although they are already over 80…
– There are such scientists at our institute. For example, a professor who is 86 years old. He does not run the laboratory, he does not need it anymore, but he transfers his experience and knowledge to other employees, writes a scientific book. In the West – for example, in Germany – at the age of 65, a scientist is necessarily sent to retirement. He cannot hold a managerial position, but they leave him an office, laboratory assistants, a computer, he can be a consultant at the department or at the research institute. And the longer he works, the longer he lives, paradoxically.
– Perhaps there is no paradox here – after all, as you know, doing work, especially those you love, supports interest in life…
– You don't get tired of your favorite thing. Especially if the work receives public recognition – for example, a scientist is elected to the Academy of Sciences, or artists receive an Oscar ... Studying the life expectancy of folk artists, we have revealed an amazing fact: a pop folk artist lives almost 20 years longer than someone who has not received such a title. Of course, it affects not only the reward, but also the high level of income. All together.
– What if the upper threshold of life expectancy does not exist, and people will someday be able to achieve bodily immortality?
– The quality of life of an elderly person is more important. Immortality would be a great misfortune for humanity. Even if it is possible, I hope reason will prevail, and people will give up earthly eternal life. Both for myself and for my descendants… An ancient Greek myth tells of an immortal nymph who asked Zeus to grant immortality to her mortal lover. Zeus fulfilled the request, but the beloved grew old and decrepit, while the nymph remained young. It was necessary to ask for eternal youth, not eternal life.
– They say that the biological clock ticks at different speeds. And with age, for some reason, they go faster and faster. For children, time drags on, and for the elderly, it just flies…
– There is a comparison on this score that I really like. For a three–year-old child, one year is one third of his life. And, accordingly, all the events in his life. And for a 70-year-old person, it's only one seventies. That's why the flow of time in the elderly is different than in youth… It's such a mathematical joke. It doesn't explain much, but it's interesting.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru16.09.2014