Cuckoo-cuckoo…

Sergey Manukov, "Expert Online" 

A test that allows anyone to know their life expectancy is very popular in America. A kind of longevity calculator was created by Thomas Perls, director of a project that studies centenarians living in New England – New England Centenarian Study. It allows you to calculate the date of death using dozens of parameters that contribute to the overall state of health. Of course, the authors of the project admit that there are many exceptions and unforeseen situations. But in general, according to scientists, the statistical model allows you to make accurate predictions in 80% of cases. If we summarize the test questions, we can identify six main factors of health and longevity.

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From the editorial office:

Unlike the previously described similar calculator, consisting of only a dozen questions and designed for the British, this questionnaire includes 40 items, and on the first page you are asked to choose your country of residence. From the countries of the former USSR, only Georgia is not there – perhaps in order not to mislead the residents of the American state of the same name :)

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Communication

This section of the questionnaire contains questions about your personal life: date of birth, gender, marital status, job, education, etc. There are also questions about your closest relatives and friends. For example, how often do you meet with them?  

The analysis of about one and a half hundred (!) studies on this topic allows us to identify the relationship between the quality and volume of communication and the state of health, and consequently, life expectancy.

Communication allows you to deal with stress and depression more successfully and plays an important role in life expectancy. The more a person communicates with other people, the longer he will live, all other things being equal. According to a 2010 study, communication increases the likelihood of a longer life by 50%.

"Good communication stimulates cognitive abilities and life activity, which in turn ensure the correct aging process," explains Thomas Perls. "Communication is especially important in old age."

Diet

Then there are questions about what you eat and how you do it. Foods containing sugar, white flour and rice often lack vitamins. They consist mainly of simple carbohydrates, which are quickly converted into glucose. In addition, such products increase the glycemic index, i.e. the blood sugar content.

High sugar levels are the main cause of diabetes. In addition, if you eat a lot of foods with a high glycemic index and do not burn the required number of calories, you can earn obesity.

Physical exercises

Another important indicator for life expectancy. Unfortunately, now more and more people lead a sedentary lifestyle, i.e. they experience a chronic lack of motor activity. 

The authors of the test determine the lack of motor activity by questions about the availability of a car, the specifics of work, the time spent on walking and walking during the day. Even walking speed can make a big difference to health. For example, the authors of the project say that this factor affects health more than smoking or diagnostic parameters (blood pressure level, pulse rate).

An interesting study was conducted in America. It turned out that the average New Yorker sits for an average of 7 hours a day. American doctors, meanwhile, recommend that all American adults gain at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of high, and do exercises for muscle development at least twice a week. Moreover, these are the minimum requirements.

Research by scientists shows that prolonged sitting leads to cardiovascular diseases and premature death even of those people who lead a relatively active lifestyle and often exercise.

Stress management

Stress, of course, negatively affects life expectancy. At the same time, it is important to understand that there is no escape from stress in modern life. Therefore, it is not the presence of stress itself that is important, although, of course, the less of them, the better, but how a person copes with them. Here, special techniques, for example, meditation, can bring considerable benefit. Studies show that meditation and other similar practices can significantly reduce the harm caused by stress and depression to health.

Bad habits

Everything is clear here too. It is difficult to argue with the fact that smoking, alcohol, drugs, love of tanning, etc. shorten life.

Dental care occupies a separate place in the online questionnaire. Research by scientists in recent years shows that the health of the whole organism directly depends on the state of the oral cavity – teeth and gums, because bacteria formed on teeth and gums have an extremely negative effect not only on the oral cavity, but also on other internal organs, including those that are very far from the mouth.

Doctor's visits

Health needs to be monitored. Regular visits to the doctor are a prerequisite for a long life. In this section of the online questionnaire, you need to answer questions about blood pressure, cholesterol levels, whether there have been heart attacks, etc.

It is especially important to undergo regular medical examinations for those who have cases of cardiovascular diseases in their family.

The authors of the study emphasize that the test results should not be taken as a verdict in any case. This only gives everyone a more accurate understanding of the risks to their own health. 

Although such testing has its critics. Which say that those who have passed the test develop a special kind of hypochondria. People start looking for similar information on the Internet, which increases their fears.

The authors of the project object and say that such methods have long been used in narrower areas, for example, in studies of the state of the cardiovascular system, such an indicator as "heart age" is measured. In their opinion, it is better for a person to know what needs to be changed in their lifestyle – a few "extra" years of life will not hurt anyone.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru

10.09.2015