OHIO ELDER LAW BLAWG

Those Extra Pounds: Bad for the Aging Brain?

According to research in the latest issue of The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological and Medical Sciences (Volume 65A, Number 1), the affects of being overweight are not only physical, but also affect neurological function.

The publication presents a collection of ten articles highlighting new findings related to obesity in older persons.

Anna Dahl, MS, of Sweden's Jönköping University, led a study which found that individuals with a midlife body mass index (BMI) score which was higher than thinner people's had lower general cognitive ability. These statistics were drawn from a 39 year study of twins in Sweeden, from 1963 to 2002. There was no difference in the results based on the participant's sex. 

Of course, more study is necessary. "One of the unanticipated consequences of improved medical management of cardiovascular disease is that many obese individuals reach old age," said Editor Luigi Ferrucci, MD, PhD, of the National Institute on Aging. "We need a better understanding of the causes and consequences of obesity in older individuals - especially when obesity is associated with sarcopenia."  (Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass and sometimes the replacement of muscle with fat). 

Telomeres and Omega-3's: What are they and why should we care?

Omega 3's have been in the news lately, because a new study shows that having sufficient Omega 3's has anti-aging properties. These anti aging properties are on a cellular level. 

You may remember this blog's reference to an article that discussed Telomeres.  Telomeres are structures at the end of chromosomes. They are involved in the stability and replication of the chromosomes and are being recognized as markers of biological aging.  Various things will shorten Telomeres.  Genetics, exposure to certain chemicals and environmental stressors can shorten the length of telomeres. 

While the article I referenced discussed exercise's effect on Telomeres, more recently the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published an article that indicates omega-3s slow down the shortening of telomeres -- also indicating that omega-3 fatty acids may protect against aging on a cellular level.

The sources of Omega-3 fatty acids are varied.  Most people look to fish to supply Omega-3's, but over-consumption of fish may have other negative health effects, including exposure to mercury. 

Many of you who know me know I am a vegetarian, so I began to look for non-animal sources of Omega-3 and there are plenty.  Non-animal sources of Omega-3's include:

Walnuts; flaxseeds; flaxseed oil; hemp seeds (hulled); rapeseed oil; macadamia nuts; brazil nuts; hickory nuts; almonds; spinach; spirulina; wheat germ; peanuts; pumpkin seeds,soybeans, and olive oil.  Generally oils should not be heated if you desire the benefits of Omega-3, because heating can break it down. 

So, whether through fish or other sources, and in addition to exercise, having a good source of Omega-3 essential fatty acids in your diet may lead to a healthier life.

~Todd W. Bartimole

How to Live to 104: A Simple Guide

I just read an article in the New York Times about Joe Rollino, who lived to 104 when he was tragically run over by a woman driving a ten year old Ford minivan.

It made sense it would take a big automobile to kill him, because Joe Rollino was tough.  He was so tough he could lift 635 lbs with his finger.  He could bend quarters with his thumb while holding them between his teeth and pressing on them.  

When Joe was a teenager he saw Jack Dempsey fight and knock out Jess Willard, boxed under the name Kid Dundee, and became a Coney Island performer.  He also worked as a longshoreman, fought in World War II and even had a small part in the movie “On the Waterfront” but apparently his acting never made the film.

As a Coney Island performer, Mr. Rollino was a strong man.  He was only between 125 and 150 lbs.  But for a man of his size, he was apparently quite strong. He swam in the freezing ocean, and is rumored to have saved two people's lives after fishing them out of freezing water when authorities were unable or unwilling to go in and get them themselves. 

At his 103rd birthday party, Mr. Rollino impressed his partygoers, telling stories about his old days, and of course he demonstrated that he still had it all by putting a quarter in his teeth, and bending it. 

So how did he live so long?  A few of the things we know about Mr. Rollino give us a hint: he stayed away from meat, cigarettes, and alcohol. He walked five miles every morning. He appeared to love life and had things in his life to be proud of.  

So, how do we live to 104?  By doing what Joe did, and by doing all the things we hear about time and again:  eating well (as Michael Pollen says, "“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants..."), rejection of cigarettes and things that hurt your body, good doses of exercise, and love of life.  That is one way to live to 104, and probably the best way to live that long.

Rollino

Labor Day Excursion

I went on a little Labor Day excursion to the Finger Lakes region of New York this weekend.  I left Saturday night after a day of working and took the 5-6 hour trip leisurely.  The lakes are beautiful and the wineries around them are fun. I took a tour of about 6 wineries, from small serious ones, to one where they made you chant as loud as you could a song about how a particular wine was an aphrodisiac.

While that is not something I could verify for anyone, I did have a nice time. The weather was great, and even though most of the wine was sweet (something I am not used to but is common in New York wines) it was tasty. There was one winery that had a particularly bad iron taste in the wine...wasn't going to buy anything there.

Unfortunately I got no pictures. Probably enjoyed myself more without the effort of the camera, but some pictures to accompany this post would be nice, as the country is beautiful.

Makes a great one tank trip.  

My One Guilty Pleasure

    So, many of my friends and clients know that I am a bit of a health nut.  I shun fats, excessive sweets, I have been a vegetarian for over 25 years.  My one guilty pleasure is that I can't give up coffee.

    I often drink when no one else will join me, like my late afternoon meetings with clients.  I even drink alone.  (Yes, I am still talking about coffee).

    So, I was heartened to read that some of the most recent outcomes of a study on coffee drinking showed that there is a potential link to one's mental health in later life.  Researchers tracked coffee consumption in a group of 1,409 men and women considered to be "middle Aged" 21 years (on average). During that time, 61 participants developed dementia and 48 developed Alzheimer's.

     The Study, published in the The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and reported on in the New York Times, indicated that subjects who told researchers they drank three to five cups of coffee daily were 65 percent less likely to have developed dementia, compared with those who drank two cups or less. People who drank more than five cups a day were also at reduced risk of dementia, but not in a significant amount. 

    Why is there a decreased risk? There were three possibilities which may hold the answer.  As earlier studies have indicated coffee consumption results in a lower risk of type II diabetes, the lower incidence of diabetes (which has been associated with increased risk of demenita) may also have the effect of decreasing the risk of dementia. Secondly, caffeine has been linked to a reduction in amyloid plaques in the brain which is associated with Alzheimer’s. Third, coffee might act as an antioxidant, reducing risk factors for dementia associated with our cardi-vascular system.

    As I now have evidence that coffee may help prevent dementia in later life,  I plan on continuing my one guilty pleasure, but now without quite so much guilt.