Open Secrets of a Healthy Long Life.

Since time immemorial mankind has been seeking ways to prolong life and to be happier. Over the last three decades economic wealth has tripled but measures of happiness have increased by less than one percentage point. This finding is backed up by statistical findings. A glance at the graph below will show that between 1960 and 1987 the economic prosperity increased from 100 to 400 but the measure of happiness remained constant around 5.8 and 6.0 From this observation it would be reasonable to conclude that economic prosperity does not bring about happiness.

Graph 1. Economic Prosperity does not produce happiness(Robert H., 2003 #557) .

Most people will agree that one set of statistics do not proof anything and I will agree with this line of argument. So I now need more statistics to back by argument that economic prosperity does not produce happiness. I looked at the GDP of many different countries and found that there was only a slight difference in the level of happiness between the peoples of the rich and poor countries. I am comfortable concluding that there is a small relationship between happiness and money but it seems that more money does not bring more happiness. So if you have been trying to improve your happiness through economic gain, it is likely that you will not find happiness when you get the “money” which you wanted.

To support my argument, I am going to use a personal experience here. When I was a nursing student I used to earn five pounds per month. My feeling was that when I became a staff nurse, I will feel happier because my income would increase. Yes, I became a staff nurse, yes my income did increase, and yes, I did feel happier. However, my newly found happiness only lasted for about two weeks. Then I started to think, again, of how economic prosperity will bring me happiness. I followed the same thoughts and action plans, again. I thought that if I became a Charge Nurse, things would become better both economically and emotionally. I did become a Charge Nurse, again my happiness was short lived and soon found myself looking for new avenues of happiness. The answer, in brief, is that I did not find happiness for a long time. I found happiness when I found the job I liked. It is true that this job pays me reasonably well but it is not the highest paying job I have held. However, it is a job I like doing and actually put in quite a few extra hours, without financial compensation and I do not even ask for compensation. My conclusion, based on my current knowledge, is that I was barking up the wrong tree when I was looking for happiness by looking for a more paying job. What I needed to have done was to understand what I really wanted. I needed to have separated the economic issues from the “personal happiness” issues.

I have worked as a Registered Nurse for about twenty years. I have had many chances to talk with patients who, in their ripe old age have ended up in the intensive care units of major teaching hospitals. I agree the poll is not scientific but here are some of the things these senior citizens have had to say.

Many of the patients who lived to be more than ninety years did not consume alcohol. Some consumed alcohol but in extremely moderate amounts. This argument, that alcohol reduces life expectancy, can be supported statistically. People who drink alcohol and consume other illicit drugs are more likely to be in accidents / fights or to injure themselves. Also, alcohol and illicit drugs kill body cells by the millions. These are not replaced by cells, they are replaced by fibrous tissue which use up oxygen but do not contribute to supporting the living individual’s wellbeing in any way. So, they become a drain of life’s resources. This problem is compounded by the fact that the number of healthy living cells is ever decreasing and the amount of useless fibrous tissue is ever increasing. So, if you want to live a long time you need to watch the balance between healthy living cells and fibrous tissue. In conclusion, drink less and take fewer illicit drugs to maintain more healthy cells for a longer period of time. This is sure to help you live longer, and healthier.

Our body is made up of millions of microscopic cells. The cells aggregate to form tissues, organs, body systems and finally a human being. In the previous paragraph I talked about alcohol and illicit drugs. These are not the only killers of human cells. Each day we kill millions of cells by other means too. Smoke, is a poison with numerous toxins, carcinogens and poisons. The major poisonous contents of tobacco smoke are shown in table 1 below. I am not only talking of the risk of cigarette smoking for yourself, I am talking about all individuals who are exposed to smoke, directly or indirectly. Many of these individuals have no choice. So, if an adult in a household smokes, it has the effect of reducing the life spans of the children, spouse, and others living in the same house. Each year 440,000 premature deaths occur, according to statistics from the Center for Disease control and prevention from tobacco use. It costs the economy $75 billion in direct medical costs. The point I am making here is that if you want to live a long and healthy life, you need to keep away from these killers which are around us all the time.

Cardiovascular diseases are the number one killers in the United States , this is according to the American Heart Association, a charitable organization registered in the US . Each day 2,500 people die of heart diseases, this translates into one cardiovascular death every 33 seconds.

Table 1. Eight Killer contents of Cigarette smoke (Northwest, 2006 #559)

At this point you must be thinking that you are on your way to a long happy life if you keep away from cigarettes, are healthy from a cardiac perspective and are not too poor and have a job which you enjoy. The answer is not so simple.

Statistics already published in my article on killer diseases http://www.quazen.com/Health/Healthcare-Industry/Major-Killer-Diseases-of-the-World..1025 show that one needs to be able to take care of ones heart and blood vessels to have a relatively long life.

Taking care of blood vessels seems relatively easy when looking at the macroscopic picture. However, the applied aspect is much more difficult. This is because the health of blood vessels and the heart is affected by what we eat. For human beings eating the right things has never been easy because we are subjected to social, cultural and religious influences. Science and statistics often take the back seat.

Without going into too much detail we need to do the following to preserve the health and integrity of our heart and blood vessels. These have been discussed, at length, in other articles; they are presented in summary form here. It is the integrity of the circulatory system which keeps us alive.

How to Preserve Cardio-vascular integrity.

1. What Is Cardiovascular Integrity refers to the health and condition of the heart and associated blood vessels. A normal heart is the size of the client’s fist which is richly supplied with blood vessels and had in intact nerve supply. The interior of the heart and blood vessels is covered by smooth endothelial cells which facilitate the laminar flow of blood. Due to a variety of reasons a condition known as atherosclerosis (pronounced ATH-er-o-skler-O-sis) develops in the arteries. This build up of atherosclerosis (plaque) increases in size, the insides of the coronary arteries get narrower and less blood can flow through them. Eventually, blood flow to the heart muscle or brain is reduced, and, because blood carries much-needed oxygen, the heart / brain muscle (nerve tissue) is not able to receive the amount of oxygen it needs. Reduced or cutoff blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart muscle can result in Coronary artery disease or Cerebral ischaemia or strokes. These diseases cause morbidity and mortality. So the first method to preserve cardio vascular integrity is to reduce the consumption of polysaturated fats, mostly red meats.

2. High blood cholesterol predisposes an individual to heart attacks. The Patho physiology has been explained above. Cholesterol is a vital and essential component of all cell membranes and is needed for almost all bodily functions, for example the production of enzymes and hormones. Cholesterol is produced when foods containing certain types of oils and fats are ingested. Cholesterol is also produced by the human liver. In the blood, Cholesterol is found in two forms. The cholesterol which has low density lipoproteins (LDL) is known as the ‘bad’ cholesterol because it contributes to blood vessel diseases by ‘sticking’ to and narrowing the arteries supplying the heart, brain and other vital organs. High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is known as the ‘good’ cholesterol because it keeps LDL levels in check. Foods which contain high levels of cholesterol should be avoided . These include fatty meats, butter, cream, cheese, chocolate, coconut, pies, pastries, cakes, most fast foods, biscuits, potato chips, regular milk, regular yogurt (curd),

Table 2. Foods which do not contain cholesterol.

a. Healthy adult should aim to maintain their total blood cholesterol levels at less than 200mg/dL. Higher levels are associated with increased risk of coronary artery diseases, cerebrovascular accidents and strokes.

b. Clients or patients, who have heart diseases or diabetes, should maintain their low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels of 100 mg/dL. If it is higher, then the risk is increased.

c. Patients who are generally healthy but have low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels of 160 mg/dL or higher, have increased risk of vascular diseases.

d. Adults with triglyceride levels of greater than 150 mm/dL are at increased risk for vascular diseases.

3. Smoking stats show that p eople who smoke cigarettes have the greatest risk and that exposure to other people’s smoke increases the risk of cardiovascular disease even for nonsmokers. One encouraging sign is that q uitting smoking helps reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

4. High Blood Pressure : Our heart is the hardest working organ in our body. During our live time it will beat about two and a half billion times without ever taking a break! The daily choices which we make affect how much stress the heart has to deal with and function efficiently. Small changes translate into big effects on the heart because it does not get a break.

High blood Pressure interferes with the integrity of the cardio vascular system. People who have blood pressures of 140/90 mm Hg or higher have increased risk of vascular diseases. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. Each adult should aim to maintain optimal blood pressure. The following interventions should be considered:

a. Shake the salt habit. Reducing salt intake will reduce the amount of circulating fluid. When this happens there is a corresponding reduction in blood pressure.

b. Check your blood pressure regularly and make sure it is in the normal range. If not, seek professional help.

c. . High blood pressure can be controlled by using prescribed medications. When on prescribed medications it is important to take the medications and diet seriously. This is because, if you are prescribed a diuretic you may also be told to take your potassium tablet or you may be told to eat a banana to replace the potassium which is lost. Not following the advice could cause you to become hypocalcaemic.

Picture A. Checking a person’s blood pressure.

5. Hormone Replacement Therapy. Statistics show that women who take hormone replacement therapy for the treatment of menopause are at higher risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke. Therefore, it would be prudent to follow your physician’s advice if you are receiving hormone replacement therapy. Consider, alternatives before starting this therapy. If you can live with cold flushes and sweats then hormone replacement therapy may not be needed.

6. Obesity . People who are o verweight or obese die at an earlier age than thinner people. This is because the heart and blood vessels are more stressed out. Some studies show that weight around the waist is more risky. Women whose waist is more that 35inches are at increased risk and men whose waist is 40 inches are at higher risk. Also at greater risk of early death are individuals who have BMI values of 25 or greater.

7. Physical Inactivity is a known killer. Studies show that people with inactive lifestyles have increased risk of early death. 30 to 60 m inutes of physical activity on most days helps reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

8. Diabetes Mellitus Studies show that people who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes have increased risk of coronary artery disease and earlier than usual death.

9. Stress. Individuals who have too much stress or who have unhealthy responses to stress may be at greater risk of early death.

Bibliography:

Robert H., F. (2003). Does Absolute Income Matter? "The Paradoxes of Happiness in Economics" conference, Milan , Italy .

Northwest, S. F. (2006). Contents of cigarettes.