Lifestyle Beats Genes in the Longevity Race

An article published on December 22, 2010 in the Journal of Internal Medicine reveals that our own actions may be more important than inherited factors in dictating how long we live.

The study was conducted on 855 men – beginning at age 50. The information collected by the researchers included details about the family history of the men, and their lifestyle.

The men who lived into their 90s had the following factors in common: low blood pressure, lower cholesterol and good cardio-respiratory function and higher socio-economic status.

However, the age attained by the men’s parents did NOT seem to influence the longevity of the men in the study. Surprisingly, hereditary did not play a major role longevity, instead the biggest impact was lifestyle.

Here’s my question to you: how does a person know if their blood pressure is too high, or their cholesterol is too high? They go to the doctor regularly, right? In my experience of talking to hundreds and hundreds of Medicare recipients, almost all of them have told me they always get an annual physical, and they all know their cholesterol and blood pressure readings. Further, most of my clients are on blood pressure and/or cholesterol lowering medication.

People on Medicare tend to go to the doctor regularly because it’s affordable. Studies confirm that many people tend to get ‘healthier’ after going onto Medicare. In my own observation I notice that when people have co/pays or deductibles they tend to go to the doctor much less than those who have no co/pays or deductibles.

Affordable health care seems to be key to the maintenance of good health, and the maintenance of good health is key to longevity.

In my unscientific opinion, the affordability of good health care for people on Medicare has been a huge contributor to the fact that people are living significantly longer than they ever have in all of recorded history.