Smart Steps to Aging Well
From NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine
Taking responsibility for your own health as you age means being an active participant with your physician and other health care professionals.
Things you can do to help with healthy aging are:
Left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart disease, eye problems, and kidney failure. High blood pressure measures 140/90 or higher at two or more checkups.
Improve your diet with healthy foods and cut down on salt. Exercise every day. Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise plan. If lifestyle changes alone do not work, your doctor may prescribe blood pressure pills. Take them as directed.
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance present throughout the body, including the heart. Deposited in your blood it can raise your risk of heart disease or stroke.
Diet and exercise to lower your LDL and raise your HDL. Failing this, you may need drugs. Take them as directed.
Extra weight puts people at greater risk for many health problems as they age: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, certain cancers, sleep apnea (when breathing stops for short periods during sleep), osteoarthritis (wearing away of the joints), and more.
Losing as little as five to 15 percent of your body weight can improve your health.
As you age, muscle tissue quality decreases and you may lose up to 40 percent of muscle mass. Strength exercises can often quickly restore some mass and strength.
Talk to your doctor about what kind of exercise and how much is right for you. A good goal is to exercise four to six times a week for 30 to 60 minutes at a time.
With the growing use of retail-based and emergency walk-in clinics, many families are in danger of seeing a succession of health care professionals who have no history of their health. Find—and stick with—a doctor you like.
Pay attention to childhood immunization schedules, as well as vaccines for adults. Ignoring them can be hazardous to your health—at any age.
With age come sunlight-related effects, from wrinkles and dermatitis to various skin cancers. Protect your skin from over-exposure to the sun. See your physician regularly to check for changes in your skin.
Take the correct amount of your prescribed medicine at the proper time.
Safeguarding your health as you age requires continually learning how to stay healthy. Two websites you can visit for trusted health care information are MedlinePlus from the US National Library of Medicineand NIHSeniorHealth from the National Institutes of Health.
Excerpt from Healthy Family 2009, NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine
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