Stay healthy until old age

Healthy to old age

04/08/2012

The President of the World Health Summit, Professor Detlev Ganten, has interviewed „World Online“ What measures can help ensure that people stay fit until they reach old age? A healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and sufficient exercise should be mentioned here as well as the overall functioning of national health systems.

The self-responsibility of the population should, according to the President of the World Health Summit, be significantly strengthened in order to meet the rapidly aging population in the wake of demographic change. Here every individual is asked to minimize his or her individual risk of disease through a healthy lifestyle. In this way, many people could reach old age without suffering from chronic diseases, explained Prof. Detlev Ganten ...

Demographic change as a challenge for the health system
The 71-year-old president of the World Health Summit, Professor Detlev Ganten, explained that demographic change is one „great challenge for science and society“ be. Thus the fact that in the year 2050 in Germany a third of the population is older than 60 years, not to one „considerable financial burden“ for the younger ones, health care must be guaranteed, „that anyone who still wants to work in old age, can work and so remains an active member of society“, emphasized Prof. Ganten „World Online“. Already today shows, „That 70-year-olds are just as capable, willing and willing to work as once 50-year-olds.“ The President of the World Health Summit refers not only to gainful employment, but also to the „Commitment to volunteering“, which according to the expert also has an important and valuable meaning.

Self-responsibility crucial for successful disease prevention
In order to counteract the imminent burdens caused by the shifts in the age structure and the associated increase in illnesses, the expert believes that it is first and foremost necessary to strengthen the „personal responsibility“ in the population. Because one „A conscious lifestyle, a healthy diet and sufficient exercise can prevent illnesses“, which keeps people active even in old age, explained the expert. However, self-directed prevention measures should best be started as early as childhood. The children need to be provided with information and support for a healthy lifestyle in order to benefit them right from the start „personal responsibility“ to educate. It also stimulates the natural urge to move and the enjoyment of healthy food, explained Prof. Ganten.

Active and healthy life protects against illness in old age
Overall, a healthy lifestyle can significantly extend the phase of healthy aging, according to the expert. According to Prof. Ganten lie „reliable data“ before that confirm, „that someone who lives healthy and active can avoid some chronic diseases, delay the disease and shorten the duration of the disease.“ For example, protect the „Avoiding smoking before lung cancer, less alcohol prevents liver disease and regular exercise prevents osteoporosis, muscle tension and back pain“, explained the President of the World Health Summit. Events such as World Health Day are helpful in this context to raise awareness of self-responsibility. „Too many people are unaware that they can not claim health from the doctor, but that they can and should do something for themselves“, the expert stressed and added: „Health is still the highest good of man.“

Increased risk of illness due to unhealthy living and environmental conditions
The president of the World Health Summit also cited changes in living and environmental conditions as one of the main reasons for the rise in various diseases. „We live in a modern world“ and „While only ten percent of the population lived in cities 100 years ago, today it is about 50 percent“, explained Prof. Ganten. By 2030, 80 percent of the world's population is expected to live in cities. The numbers show how rapidly and dramatically our environment is changing, while our biology is still the same, the president of the World Health Summit said. Our organism is „evolutionary and biologically adjusted to physical stress, exercise, lack of nutrition and hunger“, but in modern societies, the framework conditions have changed fundamentally, said the expert. According to Prof. Ganten move „we eat little, eat too much, too fat, too sweet and too salty“, whereby „it is one of the common lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes“ coming.

Prevention instead of treatment of diseases
To counteract this, however, not only the self-responsibility of the population must be strengthened, but also on the part of the service providers and health insurance companies, it requires a rethink, so the statement of Prof. Ganten. Away from the classic treatments after the onset of complaints, to a significantly improved prevention. Too often the treating physicians are still exclusively disease-oriented and hardly think about prevention. „Although they treat ailments, they are far too rarely prevented“, stressed the president of the World Health Summit. In this context, the behavior of the health insurance companies is sometimes incomprehensible. Although there is often a trend to improve disease prevention „that the health insurance companies, for example, still do not pay for dental care“, is according to Prof. Ganten „a mistake.“ Because this form of prevention pays off in the long term „less caries diseases and appropriate treatments“ out. At the end „the cash registers have to pay less“ and „the same applies to other preventive measures“, stressed the expert.

German health system exemplary
In the end, however, the German health system is relatively well positioned in international comparison and offers a lot of support for healthy aging, explained Prof. Ganten. „We have an excellent system of patient care and reimbursement“, that is described as exemplary worldwide, stressed the President of the World Health Summit. Only „There is room for improvement in prevention“, so the limitation of the expert. In this country, according to Prof. Ganten „Still too much smoking, too little exercise and drunk too much alcohol“ - otherwise Germany stands with its health system „at the very front“. However, have one „of course its price“, explained the expert. This is also one of the major problems in the worldwide implementation of comparable systems. Emerging and developing countries simply can not afford a correspondingly high standard.

Health care in developing and emerging countries is a problem
The forecast increase in non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mental illness in countries such as India, China and the African continent is one of the reasons for World Health Day, according to Prof. Ganten. Because while in us too „An aging society is still doing well, the world health deteriorates despite the rapid pace of scientific progress“, explained the president of the World Health Summit. Alone the number of „Diabetics will double in emerging markets between 2010 and 2030“, Prof. Ganten continues. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) „Therefore, especially in these countries, they want to strengthen their health behavior“, stressed the expert. Especially since the modern industrial nations, according to Prof. Ganten also „a complicity“ to carry on the unhealthy lifestyle in emerging markets. „We live an unhealthy lifestyle and export it with our products“, which makes healthy aging in emerging markets much more difficult, the expert explained.

Strength training rejuvenates the muscles
In principle, there are a variety of approaches to reduce the risk of illness in old age and to stay fit longer. For example, US researchers at the MC Master University Medical Center, Hamilton, have recently been able to prove in a study that regular strength training can significantly rejuvenate many muscle groups. „Even older people can rejuvenate their muscles by decades“, so the resume of the scientists. As the body ages, the muscles also age and disappear. This is because less energy is available to the tissue and the performance of the mitochondria is steadily decreasing. Mitochondria are extremely small cell organelles that provide energy to the muscles. In a research with 25 otherwise healthy 70-year-old women and men, the researchers found that this process can stop even in old age and even reverse. The researchers had the subjects trained for six months in a gym regularly. Tissue samples were taken before and after the study and compared with a comparison group of young participants. Through sport, the muscle power of older people could improve by 50 percent. For this purpose, the subjects only had to complete a training program twice a week, in which all muscle parts were stimulated.

As a result, not only did the muscles improve in sports activities, but so did the performance of the mitochondria. These have become „even adapted to the level of a young person“ the scientists from the University Medical Center in Hamilton stated. So it can be assumed that sports and a healthy diet can slow down the aging process and significantly prolong life. (Fp)

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Picture: Rainer Sturm