Nice Genes, Buddy

It’s what we all want to be: healthy, happy and hearty in our 80s and 90s and beyond. And we like to think that if we put in the effort by eating properly and exercising our bodies and minds, we have good chance of hitting the big 9-0 or beyond. Turns out, it helps if we do all those good things, but it helps more if we have the right genes.

Here is a fascinating article about super-seniors, healthy and active older seniors who are lucky enough to have won the genetic lottery. There is something called the Healthy Aging Study which looks at very fit and healthy individuals at least 85 years old who have never had major disease in their lives. The purpose of the study is to find possible genetic ‘markers’ of super seniors so that all of us might benefit.

The executive summary is this: sometimes disease and infirmity creep in on you no matter what you do. While it might be a bit depressing for those of us minding the store - which means eating properly, exercising and doing all the right things –sometimes genes play a bigger role that we might expect.

That said, even if you don’t have the genes that guarantee a longer, healthier life, every single study into health and longevity shows that you can still do plenty to make your journey through life healthier and more rewarding.

TNew