11 Habits that will help you live to 100

This is an article that was published in US News, where researchers have discovered that centenarians tend to share certain traits in how they eat, move about, and deal with stress.  The idea?  We emulate the behavior, and we might live to see the same results!

1. Don't Retire
"Evidence shows that in societies where people stop working abruptly, the incidence of obesity and chronic diseases skyrockets after retirement." - Luigi Ferruci, Director of The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging



2. Floss Every Day
Excess bacteria in the mouth is thought to enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the arteries, a major risk for heart disease.

3. Move Around
'Exercise is the only real fountain of youth that exists" says Jay Olshansky, professor of medicine and aging researcher at University of Illinois at Chicago

4. Eat A Fiber Rich Cereal For Breakfast
Yep.  Getting a serving of whole grains, especially in the morning, appears to help older adults maintain better blood sugar levels throughout the day.

5. Get At Least 6 Hours Of Shut Eye
"Sleep is one of the most important functions our body uses to regulate and heal cells"

6. Consume Whole Foods, Not Supplements
We've heard this a million times.  There is strong evidence that suggests that people who have high blood levels of certain nutrients - selenium, beta-carotene, vitamins C and E - age much better and have a slower rate of cognitive decline.  Unfortunately, there is no evidence that taking pills with these nutrients provides those anti-aging benefits.

7. Be Less Neurotic
There is a new study coming out that shows centenarians tend to not internalize things and dwell on their problems. Meditation?

8. Live Like A Seventh Day Aventist
Americans who identify themselves as Seventh Day Aventist have an average life expectancy of 89, about a decade longer than the average American. They abstain from alcohol, smoking, and overindulgence in sweets.  They stick to a relatively vegetarian diet, get plenty of exercise, and fast once a week.

9. Be A Creature Of Habit
Centenarians tend to live by strict routines, eating the same kind of diet and doing the same kinds of activities their whole lives.  Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day is another good habit to keep your body in steady equilibrium that can be easily disrupted as you get on in years.

10. Stay Connected
Having regular social contacts with friends and loved ones is key to avoiding depression, which can lead to premature death, something that's particularly prevalent in elderly widows and widowers.  Some psychologists believe that the biggest benefits elderly folks get from exercise is the strong social interaction that comes from walking with a buddy or taking an exercise class.

11. Be Conscientious
The strongest personality predictor of a long life is conscientiousness - that is, being prudent, persistent and well organized, according to The Longevity Project, coauthored by Howard Friedman and Leslie Martin.  The book describes a study that followed 1,500 children for eight decades, collecting exhaustive details about their personal histories, health, activities, beliefs, attitudes and families. The children who were prudent and dependable lived the longest.  They also were likelier to report happier marriages and more satisfying work lives.

You can view the original article HERE

Animal Protein: Homocysteine levels as an Alzheimers risk indicator

Homocysteine is an amino acid that is produced by the body, usually as a byproduct of consuming meat. Amino acids are naturally made products, which are the building blocks of all the proteins in the body.  


Below are some cut and pasted sections of the study that were intriguing:


In cross-sectional studies, elevated plasma homocysteine levels have been associated with poor cognition and dementia. Studies of newly diagnosed dementia are required in order to establish whether the elevated homocysteine levels precede the onset of dementia or result from dementia-related nutritional and vitamin deficiencies.

Low serum levels of certain B vitamins (folate and vitamins B₁₂ and B₆) have been associated with elevated plasma homocysteine levels in several studies and with an increased risk of dementia in a few investigationsIn our study, the observed association between plasma homocysteine and risk of dementia was not significantly altered by adjustment for the plasma levels of these vitamins (Table 3). Furthermore, after adjustment for age, sex, andAPOE genotype, none of these vitamin levels were independently related to the risk of dementia or Alzheimer's disease (data not shown).


Their Conclusion? An increased plasma homocysteine level is a strong, independent risk factor for the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.


Here is a link to the article in The New England Journal of Medicine

Joseph M. Foley M.D.- A dear client and friend will be missed by Hanson Services

We took care of Dr. Joseph Foley once a week for ten years, and our caregiver Cathy Santovin was the first and only caregiver Dr. Foley had from Hanson Services.  Dr. Foley passed away at 96 as the Emeritus Professor of Neurology of Case Western Reserve, was the founder of the Cleveland area's Alzheimer's Association, awarded the U.S. Bronze Star for being the first unit onshore at the beaches of Normandy, Harvard Medical School Graduate, and a continuous advocate for peace and love amongst his peers.

Our caregivers most memorable moments with Dr. Foley were singing songs and reciting poems from memory.  He would say "I think it's time to call and bug Peggie!" where he had a continuous rapor with our Human Resources Director about all subjects under the sun, which also included hand writing his own checks under a microscope at 96 years of age.  He was one of Hansons oldest and most wonderful relationships, and will be known as a simple man, humorous, and strong willed.  He requested to not be recognized for all his accomplishments, but many could not restrain, including The Plain Dealer which ran a large article on his life you can view at Cleveland.com.

Strength training key in preventing Alzheimer's - CNN Health

It’s well-known that exercising to maintain a healthy heart also helps create a healthy mind. But several new studies suggest that when it comes to preventing dementia, not all forms of exercise are created equal.

Studies presented at this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference found that resistance training was particularly beneficial for improving the cognitive abilities of older adults.

While the studies were small, all including 150 participants or less, they did seemed to indicate that resistance training – such as weight lifting or using resistance bands – could possibly be an intervention for dementia in older adults.

One study divided a group of 86 women, all between the ages of 70 and 80, into three different exercise groups: Weight lifting, walking, or balance and tone exercises. Each group did the exercises twice a week for 6 months.

Everyone appeared to benefit from the exercise.

“We actually imaged their brains, using functional MRIs – and these people showed better brain function,” explained lead investigator, Dr. Teresa Liu Ambrose.

Participants were tested for cognitive executive functions such as attention, memory and planning. According to Ambrose, “the cognitive executive function and associated memory – those are the two traits most linked to dementia.”

At the end of the trial, those in the weight lifting group were most improved.

Ambrose, who is the director of the Aging, Mobility, and Cognitive Neuroscience lab at the University of British Columbia, tells CNN: "We accept that exercise is the golden bullet – but we need to identify who might benefit the most from what exercise.”

“It’s definitely one of the first times resistance training has been looked at in connection with Alzheimer’s. And we’ve seen in that body of literature that people who do resistance training increase their ability to be more mobile, but it may have some other benefits,” said Heather Snyder of the Alzheimer’s Association.

What was also striking was that those who started with a higher cognitive baseline actually gained the most benefits from exercise.

Read the rest of the article on CNN Health HERE

Touching video on the impact of music

Role of stress in dementia investigated

This is a great article by Michelle Roberts at The BBC News Online linking stress to dementia. Many of Hanson's clients are suffering from this disease, and our education department is constantly on the lookout for methods to make the disease more manageable and support the research of understanding it's causes. 

UK experts are to begin a study to find out if stress can trigger dementia.

The investigation, funded by the Alzheimer's Society, will monitor 140 people with mild cognitive impairment or "pre-dementia" and look at how stress affects their condition.

The researchers will take blood and saliva samples at six-monthly intervals over the 18 months of the study to measure biological markers of stress.

They hope their work will reveal ways to prevent dementia.

The results could offer clues to new treatments or better ways of managing the condition, they say.

Dementia triggers

People who have mild cognitive impairment are at an increased risk of going on to develop dementia - although some will remain stable and others may improve.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

Something such as bereavement or a traumatic experience - possibly even moving home - are also potential factors”

Prof Clive HolmesLead of the new investigation

• BBC Health: Dementia in depth

And past work suggests mid-life stress may increase a person's risk of Alzheimer's disease.

A Swedish study that followed nearly 1,500 women for a period of 35 years found the risk of dementia was about 65% higher in women who reported repeated periods of stress in middle age than in those who did not.

Scottish scientists, who have done studies in animals, believe the link may be down to hormones the body releases in response to stress which interfere with brain function.

Prof Clive Holmes, from the University of Southampton, who will lead the study, said: "All of us go through stressful events. We are looking to understand how these may become a risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's.

"Something such as bereavement or a traumatic experience - possibly even moving home - are also potential factors.

"This is the first stage in developing ways in which to intervene with psychological or drug-based treatments to fight the disease.

"We are looking at two aspects of stress relief - physical and psychological - and the body's response to that experience."

Dr Simon Ridley, of Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "We welcome any research that could shed new light on Alzheimer's disease and other causes of dementia.

"Understanding the risk factors for Alzheimer's could provide one piece of the puzzle we need to take us closer to a treatment that could stop the disease in its tracks."