We all have to grow old but we must be aware that the cause of aging is not just the passage of time: The speed and the way we age are the result of the way we have lived.
Twins with the same chronological age and the same genetic heritage may in fact have a different biological age, the result of the lifestyle and behavior they have maintained over the years, i.e. all those external factors, such as nutritional choices, physical activity and sedentary lifestyle, strenuous jobs, stress and sleep qualitywhich can make you age more or less quickly than necessary.
Today it is possible to measure the biological age with a series of tests, evaluating the person’s condition with great accuracy and in many cases intervene early to bring back the biological clock by implementing a whole series of “correctives” capable not only of increase and improve healthy life expectancybut also to prevent the premature decay of the organism and elaborating programs able to contrast the passage of time.
In addition to improving lifestyles, in the very near future it will be possible to resort to new molecules discovered and under development such as polyphenols, resveratrol, sirtuin activators, Nad (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide)which have already proved capable of prolonging healthy life in animals, while regenerative techniques such as intermittent fasting, infusion therapy with antioxidants and vitamins, hyperbaric oxygen therapy are also very promising.
There are some signs, both physical and mental, that indicate the passing of the years. The first of these is the decline in physical performance with decreased mobilitystrength, muscle elasticity, the slowing down of the walk with an increase in the time in which both feet are placed on the ground, the change in posture which tends to bend over causes the thinning and shortening of the bones, the loss of muscle and the increase in fat mass.
The first signals that concern the brain are the intensification of forgetfulness that occurs in everyday life, repeating the same things several times, not finding the right word or not remembering names and objects, or having to read the same text several times to remember the concept.
It feels old when you can’t use tablet technology and the endless options of home appliances or digital TV and it takes longer to learn the same amount of new information.
A sign that characterizes aging is the greater slowness in behaviour, both in the execution of physical gestures and in the mental reaction times to external stimuli. With age there is also a decline in all sensory functions with reduced vision, hearing (48% of men and 37% of women have hearing problems after the age of 75), decrease in taste due to the reduction of taste buds which drop to 50% of normal at age 80.
There are also many chronic and degenerative diseases that arise after the anta and that after the age of 65 they affect about 90% of the population and that have chronic inflammation as the common denominator. But also annoying signs and disorders such as urinary incontinence, loss of elasticity and skin spots, graying and hair loss, sleep disturbances, voice alterations, less adaptability to stress, greater susceptibility to infections due to the decline in immunity, a tendency to anxiety and depression, excessive concern for finances or health are symptoms of aging.
Some characteristics related to hormones differentiate the aging of men and women: due to the drop in testosterone, men can have repercussions on the sexual sphere, lose a lot of muscle tone and accumulate fat in the abdominal area, while women with menopause tend to accumulate kilos and can develop osteoporosis.
However, it is wrong to resign oneself to the goal of staying young longer and prolonging life with a longer duration of health and self-sufficiency without illness or disability is already partly a reality thanks to medical progress, the identification of individual risk factors which allow for the definition of personalized strategies linked primarily to the adoption of preventive behaviors such as a healthy balanced diet without excesses, the fight against a sedentary lifestyle and stress, maintaining a correct weight, indulging in moments of rest and relaxation by cultivating one’s interests, sleeping an adequate number of hours, limiting alcohol consumption and eliminating smoking.
It is also never too late to start exercising: in all phases of life, correctly performed physical activity is a real medicine not only from a physical point of view, to slow down aging and to counteract and prevent all diseases, but also psychological as it raises the tone of mood, keeps them alive and dynamic and can become an opportunity to regain awareness of one’s life, as a moment of socialization and social integration.