| |
Basic InformationLatest NewsHow Fast You Walk Might Show How Fast You're AgingStandard Memory Tests for Seniors Might Differ by GenderAHA News: Growing – and Aging – Hispanic Population at Risk for DementiaStroke Rate Continues to Fall Among Older AmericansMany U.S. Seniors Are Going Hungry, Study FindsMany Poor, Minority Seniors Get Cancer Diagnosis in the ERGive Seniors a Memory Check at Annual Checkups, Experts SayFor People at High Risk, Evidence That Exercise Might Slow Alzheimer'sStaying Healthy Now to Work Into Older AgeAggressive Blood Pressure Treatment Does Not Put Seniors at Risk: StudyCan Older Women Stop Getting Mammograms?Getting Hitched Might Lower Your Odds for DementiaMany Older Americans Aren't Equipped to Weather Hurricanes Like DorianHow You Can Help Head Off Alzheimer's DiseaseWho's Most Likely to Scam a Senior? The Answer May Surprise YouAHA News: Time With Grandkids Could Boost Health – Even LifespanAHA News: It's Never Too Late to Reap Health Rewards of Exercise, Strength TrainingIs Your Forgetfulness Reason for Concern?For Seniors, 'Silent Strokes' Are Common Post-Surgery Threat: StudyDodge Dementia With Healthy LifestyleWhen Is It Time for Seniors to Hand Over the Car Keys?Supplement Pills Can Pose Choking Risk for Seniors, Study FindsUpping Seniors' Blood Pressure Meds After Hospital Can Sometimes Bring DangerRecognizing When Your Parents Need HelpAHA News: Tiring Easily May Warn of Future Heart TroubleTight Blood Pressure Control Could Help Save Aging BrainsToo Much Napping May Signal Alzheimer'sHealth Tip: Fatigue in Older AdultsDespite Cancer Screening, 'Oldest Old' Have Low Survival Odds: StudyIt's Not Just College Kids: Many Seniors Are Binge Drinking, TooMiddle Age Now a High-Risk Time for Bad FallsCould Extra Weight Weaken Your Brain?At Risk for Alzheimer's? Exercise Might Help Keep It at BayHealthy Living Can Cut Odds for Alzheimer's in People at Genetic RiskMore Evidence That Socializing Helps Protect the Aging BrainCould Computers, Crafts Help Preserve the Aging Brain?Ageism Disappears When Young and Old Spend Time TogetherMeals on Wheels Delivers an Extra Health Bonus for SeniorsSurvey Urges Grandparents to Lock Down Their Meds When Kids Visit3 Moves for Better BalanceForget the Past: Get Moving Now and Live LongerLonely Baby Boomers Driving Surge in Plastic SurgeryHealth Tip: Preventing GlaucomaEducation, Intelligence Might Protect Your BrainBones Help Black People Keep Facial Aging at BayCould You Afford Home Health Care? New Study Says Maybe NotFor Some, Trouble Tracking Finances Could Be Sign of DementiaFalls Are Increasingly Lethal for Older AmericansMany Middle-Aged Men May Have Signs of Thinning BonesThough 'Donut Hole' Is Shrinking, Medicare Drug Costs Are Rising: Study Questions and AnswersBlog EntriesBuilding a Caregiving Team Part IIBuilding a Caregiving Team Part IPart II: Time to Turn Over the Car Keys?Part I: Time to Turn Over the Car Keys?Improving the Quality of Life as We AgeDiscovering Your Best Personal-Professional Energy: Reconnecting with Your Spiritual Homeland - Part IIDiscovering Your Best Personal-Professional Energy: In the Context of Health, Aging & Time - Part IThings to Consider When Relocating your Aging Parents10 Ways Elder Caregivers Can Accident-Proof a Home Are You a Caregiver? To Age with Joy, Be True to YourselfEmpowering Your Aging Parent to Be Their Own Healthcare AdvocateEight Tips for Talking to Your Aging Parents About Important IssuesOlder Americans Month: Medication Safety Often OverlookedOlder Americans Month: Ensuring Safety on the RoadOlder Americans Month: A Safe Home is a Happy HomeIs It Normal for Older Adults to Think about Death?Older Americans Month: Preventing Falls to Enhance WellbeingVolunteering in Later Life: Rewarding or Stressful?Honoring Older Americans Month in MayAre You A Caregiver? Read On Before Answering That Question Staying Active Improves Wellbeing for Older Adults, With or Without Memory ProblemsSubstance Abuse and Drug-Induced OsteoporosisExercise and Dementia How Social Ties Affect Disability in Later LifeSome Thoughts About Birthdays and MindfulnessProtecting Against the Widowhood EffectOlder Adults Thrive in Shared CommunityOlder Adults and Owning a DogLive Longer By Believing You Will The Emotional Needs of Older AdultsWhen Loneliness Makes Elders StealAlzheimer's, Memory, Cognitive Performance and YogaCoping With RetirementAging and Video Games: Brain PlasticityPsychotherapy For The ElderlyMay is Older Americans Month: It's Time to "Unleash the Power of Age"Sister Jean is a Picture of Wellness at 93 YearsBe Kind to Yourself: You Just Might Age BetterStress and The Older AdultPrediction: Older Adult Mental Health Needs Will Exceed Available ServicesFrailty is Not a Normal Part of Aging: 3 Ways to Age WellCan Feeling Younger Actually Make You Stronger?The Roots of StigmaNew and Old Friendships Alike Help Us Age SuccessfullyOn Aging and Turning 70Do Brain Games Really Work?Behold the SuperAgers!Can "Nurture" Temper "Nature"? Environment, Genes, and Alzheimer's DiseaseAging and Drug AddictionMore Evidence That Staying Active is Good for the BrainSo You Think You Can Multi Task?To Retire or Not, A Complicated DecisionBreaking Free from LimboElder AbuseIts Never Too LateRetiring ProblemsA Legacy of Two EldersAlzheimer's Disease, Can Brain Stimulation Prevent its Onset?Alzheimer's Disease, Would You Want to Know?Happiness, In The Long TermThe Alzheimer's Project: Upcoming HBO Special10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Memory, Something you need to work atAging and Socializing, An Important ConnectionAntipsychotic Medications Show Little Benefit for Individuals with Alzheimer's DiseaseGrowing Older: Don't Lose It, Use ItDocumentary Tonight Spotlights Family Caregiving IssuesOur Geriatric Population and Their Need for PsychotherapyDo You Remember?Aging, Depression and SuicidePreventing Alzheimer's DiseaseThe Health Dangers of LonelinessYou Mean Grandma and Grandpa Abuse Drugs?Aging and the Question of Assisted LivingElder AbuseAging and Mental AgilityLoneliness Increases Risk for Alzheimer's DiseaseUse It or Lose It: The BrainMaintanence medications ward off senior depression relapse VideosLinksBook ReviewsSelf-Help Groups |
| | |
Live Longer By Believing You WillCarrie Steckl, Ph.D. Updated: Sep 10th 2013Eat your fruits and veggies. Exercise regularly. Don't drink too much, and don't ever smoke.
 These are all sound pieces of advice when it comes to extending our longevity, and researchers have focused a great deal of time and resources on trying to pinpoint the factors that help us live longer. They've even looked at psychological factors such as history of mental health issues. But one thing they haven't really explored is the impact of one's belief that he or she will live a long time - at least until now.
A pair of researchers at Purdue University recently explored how older adults' future health expectations affected their mortality. They used a national sample of 1,266 Americans who were surveyed in 1995 about their self-rated health status and how healthy they thought they would be in ten years. The participants were between the ages of 50 and 74 when they were surveyed, and they were tracked through 2005.
Results showed that those who had positive expectations about their health when they looked ahead ten years were more likely to survive than those who had negative expectations about their future health status. In other words, those who believed they would live longer tended to do so.
In a similar study of the will-to-live, a group of researchers in Finland interviewed a group of 283 home-dwelling older adults between the ages of 75 and 90. The elders were asked in the year 2000 how many more years they would like to live. Information was collected regarding their health status (type and number of conditions) as well as age and gender.
The elders were classified into three groups: those who wished to live less than 5 years, those who wished to live 5 - 10 years, and those who wished to live more than 10 years. The researchers then followed up in 2010 by checking mortality data to see which elders had died and when. Mortality was highest among those who only wanted to live 5 years or less. The researchers realized that this may be due to increased age or illness among those with a decreased will-to-live, so they ran additional statistics that took those factors into account. Interestingly, they found that will-to-live was a strong predictor of survival regardless of the person's gender, age, or health status.
I liked these studies because they both point to the notion that if we believe we will live longer, or if we cultivate a strong will-to-live, this really could make a difference in our longevity. We certainly can't control all of the factors surrounding our health, safety, and lifespan, but knowing that our beliefs are powerful enough to make a difference is, well, pretty empowering.
Sources:
Ferraro, K. F., & Wilkinson, L. R. (2013). Alternative measures for self-rated health for predicting mortality among older people: Is past or future orientation more important? The Gerontologist (Online). doi: 10.1093/geront/gnt098
Karppinen, H., Laakkonen, M.-L., Strandberg, T. E., Tilvis, R. S., & Pitkälä, K. H. (2012). Will-to-live and survival in a 10-year follow-up among older people. Age and Ageing, 41(6), 789-794.
The "Will" to live longer! - Liesel aka Lisa Wardle - Sep 16th 2013
Excellent thought, Carrie, and how true!
What a difference it makes to have a positive outlook in life and the influence it has on your will to live!
So it is up to us, should we be caregivers, etc., to build self-esteem, positivity, by making a difference, and therefore increasing someone's lifespan, etc...
I always look forward, time permitting, to read your excellent articles!
Thank you!
|
RSS Feed
