A study of 44,000 Swedish adults, 64 to 99 years of age, followed for up to 35 years, found that 2.7 percent (1,224) lived to their 100th birthday (Geroscience, Nov 4, 2023). Among the 1,224 centenarians in this study, 84 percent were women. The researchers wanted to find out which blood tests (measures of metabolism, inflammation, liver function, kidney function, anemia, and nutritional status) would appear to predict longevity.
The greatest increase in "junk foods" (tasty processed foods with low nutritional value) in our food supply occurred when tobacco companies such as Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds owned the world’s largest food companies. They used some of the same chemicals and marketing techniques to sell food that they used to sell cigarettes.
Bobby Knight was one of the most successful college basketball coaches of all time. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991 as the coach of college teams that won 902 games and lost 371. At Indiana University from 1971 to 2000, his teams won three NCAA championships, one National Invitational Tourney and 11 Big Ten Conference championships.
Researchers from Harvard recently showed that aspirin could help to treat people with fatty liver disease (Meeting of American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, November 10, 2023). Eighty patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were randomly assigned to receive either low doses of aspirin (81 mg/day) or placebo for six months. Compared to the placebo group, the 40 patients who took aspirin had reduced amounts of fat in their livers and improved markers of liver inflammation and scarring.
A new study found that reducing daily sodium (salt) intake by one teaspoon per day significantly lowered systolic blood pressure in as little as a week. The study participants were 213 adults, ages 50-75, who had• normal blood pressure, or high blood pressure and were taking medication for high blood pressure, or high blood pressure and were not taking medication for high blood pressure.
Merle Haggard was a legendary country music singer and guitar player with 38 songs that reached number one on the country charts, and 71 in the top ten. We have lost another great musical talent to the ravages of lung cancer and pneumonia, brought on by this generation's horrible treatment of their lungs.
Diabetics who have lost teeth and cannot chew properly have significantly higher blood sugar levels than diabetics who can chew their food well. Correcting dental problems so a person can chew food adequately can help to lower high blood sugar levels. The treatment for both diabetes and general weight control should include eating lots of fiber-rich plants, chewing food properly, and correcting dental problems.
Refusing to wear a mask when you have a respiratory infection and are near other people shows total disregard for their health. We have just gone through the major portion of a COVID-19 epidemic and can expect other epidemics from this and other viruses in the future. Many studies show that a proper mask will block some of the viruses, and droplets spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, breathes or talks.
John Nuttall was a British long-distance runner who competed at the highest Olympic and international levels until he was 31, ran in competitive races until he was 40 and coached world-class international runners until he died of a heart attack at age 56. How could a fit and heathy runner die of a heart attack at such a young age? Research evidence shows that exercise strengthens the heart, helps to prevent heart attacks and strokes, and prolongs lives
It is overwhelmingly established that exercise helps to prevent heart attacks, but a recent study showed that very vigorous exercise may be associated with increased plaque size. For more than six years, researchers followed 289 men, ages 50 -60, who exercised for an average 41 MET hours per week.
