6. Smile!
By Kate Douglas
Centenarians have surprisingly little in common, but one thing most do share is their love of a laugh. "These people are gregarious and fun to be with," says Tom Perls, from the New England Centenarian Study. He reckons the key is how they respond to stress. Although a little stress may be good for you, sustained and severe stress can cut your life expectancy. Perls suspects that people born with a sunny disposition cope better with stress, which increases their chances of reaching a ripe old age.
Evidence is mounting in his favor. The study of nuns in Minnesota reveals that those who had the most positive outlook on life during adolescence and young adulthood are also the healthiest in old age. Optimism improves the prospects of patients with heart conditions, and it increases your chances of recovering from infectious diseases. A positive attitude can also help stave off the ravages of time.
Relaxation is all well and good, but there is an even more enjoyable way to achieve similar results. Those happy centenarians have it sussed. It turns out that laughing and smiling also reduce cortisol levels. A happier life is likely to be a longer one -- and that's surely something to smile about.
7. Nurture Your Inner Hypochondriac
By Graham Lawton
One obvious piece of advice for anyone wishing to become a healthy centenarian is this: If you're sick, go see a doctor. But what if you are ill and don't know it? Lots of life-threatening diseases have innocuous beginnings, and some remain symptom-free until it is too late. Clearly, it can pay to anticipate the worst. So, what are the most effective preventive measures to take, and when should you take them?
Those searching for an early warning system will find a bewildering range of options. A few hundred dollars buys you a full-body CT scan, capable of spotting silent tumors or early signs of heart disease. Numerous cancers and diseases such as diabetes can be picked up early with other simple tests. Meanwhile, genetic screens can tell you whether you have an elevated risk of developing, say, breast cancer, so that you can be extra vigilant.
Which prophylactic measures are worth it, then? There is no easy answer. In the United Kingdom, the National Health Service will only pay for screens that have passed 19 strict tests of risk versus benefit. That has narrowed the field to just a few types of screening: bowel cancer for 60- to 69-year-olds; mammograms for women age 50 to 70; cervical screening for women age 25 to 64. The NHS also advises people to self-examine their breasts or testes for lumps and is considering screening overweight and obese people for diabetes. Anyone with a family history of breast or colon cancer can request a genetic test to see whether they have inherited a risky gene, and doctors will perform PSA tests after counseling.
Beyond that, it's a case of you pays your money and you takes your pick, but do seek professional advice. In other words, go see a doctor.
8. Watch What You Eat
By Bob Holmes
There's good news and bad news for anyone who wants to eat their way to 100. The good news is, you may be able to do it. The bad news is, there won't be much eating involved. The only proven strategy to extend life span is caloric restriction -- deliberately eating just enough to get by. This extends the lives of mice by about 30 percent, and if humans enjoyed the same boost that would be enough to nudge life expectancy past the century mark.
Even if you don't live longer, constant hunger will probably make life feel longer. If that thought doesn't appeal, perhaps the best alternative is to follow the advice of your mother. The UK Department of Health is pushing harder than ever for Britons to eat up their five portions a day of fruit and vegetables, following research carried out on its behalf recently which found that this increases longevity by three years. The theory is that foods high in antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, delay aging by mopping up free radicals. Unfortunately, other evidence on the effect is equivocal, but that may be because the experiments used antioxidant supplements rather than real foods. Meanwhile, there is stronger evidence supporting the assertion that fresh fruit and vegetables -- especially greens -- help keep aging brains sharp.
If this all sounds too insubstantial to warrant a change in your eating habits, consider two facts: Studies of centenarians make it clear that a healthy diet is an extremely important factor in longevity, and eating high-calorie, fat-laden foods is one of the surest ways to an early grave.
9. Get a Life
By Kate Douglas
So, you're well on your way to reaching the big one-zero-zero. How are you going to make the most of those extra years? What you need is a bit of excitement along the way. Take some risks. Not only will new experiences bring you pleasure, you may also find they have added benefits.
For a start, a novel intellectual challenge will keep your mind sharp and could also ward off diseases. Marian Diamond, of the University of California, Berkeley, has found that playing bridge boosts the immune system. Her studies with lab rats even suggest that intellectual novelty promotes longevity: rodents given mazes to solve and toys to play with lived 50 percent longer. There is also plenty of evidence to indicate that the kind of buzz you get from traveling, learning a new language, completing a sudoku puzzle or creating your own artistic masterpiece helps delay the onset of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's.
Longevity is surely not an end in itself. So, live a little! As T.S. Eliot said: "Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go."
© 2006 New Scientist Magazine. Distributed by Tribune Media.
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