Healthy heart – healthy old age
An international team of researchers from the University of Exeter (UK), the University of Connecticut (USA) and the National Institute on Aging (USA) conducted the largest cohort study of its kind. It showed that even a small reduction in risk factors leads to a weakening of the manifestations of senile asthenia, as well as to a decrease in the frequency of dementia, chronic pain, urinary incontinence, falls and fractures and other age-related disorders.
Senile asthenia syndrome is a complex of changes associated with old age: weight loss, general weakness, decreased physical activity, etc. Many experts consider this condition to be a physiological and inevitable consequence of aging. The results of this study refute this approach: it was found that the risk of developing senile asthenia was 85% lower among elderly people who do not suffer from cardiovascular diseases.
The study analyzed data from more than 421,000 UK residents aged 60-69 years. Information about sick participants was taken from medical records, about healthy ones – from the volunteer database (UK Biobank). All participants were monitored for ten years.
Scientists have assessed six factors that can affect the heart: uncontrolled hypertension, elevated cholesterol and glucose levels in the blood, overweight, sedentary lifestyle, smoking.
In 26% of healthy volunteers, the listed risk factors were practically absent, in the group of patients this proportion was only 2.6%. The analysis showed that elderly people who are not at risk of cardiovascular diseases have better health indicators of other organs and systems. In other words, elderly people suffering from heart and vascular diseases age faster.
The main conclusion of the study is that the control of risk factors, timely detection and treatment of cardiovascular diseases lead to an improvement in the general condition of the body, a decrease in the manifestations of senile asthenia and healthy old age. These results are extremely relevant. They once again confirm the benefits of a healthy lifestyle for improving the quality of life in old age.
Article by J. L. Atkins et al. Impact of low cardiovascular risk profiles on geriatric outcomes: evidence form 421,000 subjects in two cohorts published in Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the University of Exeter: Improving heart health could prevent frailty in old age.