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528 Chama, N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87108 http://www.cbass.com |
From The Desk Of Clarence Bass
By Clarence and Carol Bass
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Living Long & Not So Long
A world life expectancy map that lists estimates for the lifespan of people born today has the USA as No. 48 with a life expectancy of 79.6, Hong Kong No. 1 at 85.77, followed by Japan at 85.
Born in the early 1900s, my father's life expectancy was 47.6 reflecting the high infant mortality rates and prevalence of infectious diseases of the times. He made it 32 years beyond that number dying at 80 from a stroke.
There are websites that point to public health, medical care, climate influences, gender differences (females living longer than males) and poverty as some of the variables that contribute to significant differences across the globe.
The July/August issue of NUTRITION ACTION has a focus on strokes, how to recognize them and how to cut their risk, but a bottom line is that it's important to control as many variables in your own life as possible to protect and preserve our brain and our body.
Lifestyle enters the picture as a determining factor, the only one we can control to a large extent.
Here are some of their recommendations:
Don't smoke: Smoking helps clog arteries, promotes blood clots, and damages cells that line blood vessels. (My father didn't smoke except for a short time during World War II. My mother did smoke and still made it to 79.)
Lose excess weight: Expect about one point drop in blood pressure for every 2 excess pounds you lose. Don't go overboard and lose muscle. (My grandmother lived just short of 100, dying in her sleep. She managed her weight quite well, and kept busy.)
Keep moving: Aim for both exercises like brisk walking for 150 minutes a week and not sitting for more than 11 hours a day. (My father would have benefited from this advice; he slowed down as his practice grew. An injured back (pole vaulting in college) slowed him down during his last few years.)
Eat a DASH-like diet: Cover half your plate with fruit or vegetables. Fill the rest with low-fat dairy and beans, nuts, fish, poultry, and healthy fats. This type of diet helps to cut sodium, a significant factor for blood pressure control. The Dash-like diet with its sodium control could help drop blood pressure, without medication, by 20 points. They explain that this diet is also high in potassium and works in the kidneys to help the body get rid of sodium. Watch your intake of significant sodium sources such as pizza, frozen dinners, and deli meats.
Limit alcohol: The more you drink, the higher your risk. Better yet, don't drink.
And most importantly: Get a home blood pressure monitor: You'll find them in any large drugstore or online. They recommend going to validatebp.org to find a reliable one.
Dr. Paul Whelton, former dean of the School of Medicine and the School of Public Health at Tulane University, points to blood pressure control as the factor that matters most for stroke control, preventing plaque development by keeping the systolic blood pressure as low as it can get. "Getting to less than 140 is critically important, and you get additional benefits if you drop below 130 and then 120."
Not only is blood pressure control important for stroke control, "observational studies show that hypertension, particularly in midlife, is a major risk factor for dementia and cognitive impairment."
Paying attention to your blood pressure would be a step forward in your handling of one of the most important variables in your life, helping to produce a better quality of life, and adding more years to your life.
* * * Carol and I rushed to take our blood pressure.
Mine was 124/75 and hers was 112/60. Looks like we'll be around a while longer.
Mine is always higher in a doctor's office. So it pays to buy your own monitor.
October 1, 2025
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