Hardly a week goes by before a new article or research study comes out describing what’s essential to age in as healthy a way as possible. Indeed almost every week one agebuzz post or another addresses some aspect of this topic. Whether your goal is to live as long as possible, or as healthy as you can (or a combination of both!), there are essential lifestyle behaviors that can extend both your health span and your lifespan. In fact, a new study of over 700,000 male and female veterans between the ages of 40-99 identified 8 lifestyle habits that, if adhered to, could add decades to your life. Presented at the 2023 annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, this study identified 8 key “therapeutic lifestyle factors” that were associated with living up to 24 years longer compared to those who did not adhere to these factors. What were those 8 essential elements for a longer and healthier life? They’re divided between things you should do and those that you shouldn’t do. What to do? Be physically active, manage your stress, eat a healthy diet, get good sleep, and maintain positive social relationships. Those to avoid? Steer clear of binge drinking, smoking, and opioid addiction. While this may seem like obvious advice, there are far too many of us who can’t abide by many or even any of these lifestyle recommendations. In fact, as one article on this study made clear, “Studies have found that approximately 90% of diabetes, 80% of coronary heart disease, and 70% of cardiovascular mortality can be attributed to unhealthy lifestyle habits.” For more on the findings of this observational study, stand up, start moving, and read here.

As a society, we have a long way to go to create the conditions necessary to allow everyone to age in as healthy a way as possible. As individuals, we can only do our best, but at least there continue to be various informational resources to help support those of us who want to try. For example, a new, easy-to-read guideline from Consumer Reports entitled ‘How To Stay Healthy Longer’ provides a “head-to-toe” tuneup on 6 important bodily systems (heart, brain, skin, digestive system, hormones, and muscles and bones). The guideline tells you what to expect within each system, makes you aware of symptoms that may arise, and suggests what you can do in response. Alternatively, if you prefer the podcast method of learning, you might want to catch the 7th season of Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s podcast, Chasing Life, which began in June of 2023, and each week focuses on “Making The Most of Your Age.” Through numerous episodes and interviews, Dr. Gupta covers such topics as aging myths and the importance of friendships, along with aging attitudes, appearance, and activities. His goal is to educate you to be the best version of yourself at whatever age you are. You can read more about his own aging journey and what he’s learned along the way by clicking here.

We also have one terrific new book on healthy aging to recommend: Honest Aging: An Insider’s Guide to the Second Half of Life by Dr. Rosanne Leipzig, a renowned geriatrician, and professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. In over 35 years of practice, Dr. Leipzig has helped thousands of patients learn everything there is to know about aging in as healthy a way as possible. Fortunately, we can all now benefit from her expertise and acquired wisdom with her new book, which delves into the latest evidence-based advice on everything from memory and mobility problems to technology options and checklists when meeting with your own physician. Her writing is accessible and understandable, chock full of good advice as you go through your own aging journey. To listen to her words of wisdom and hear more about her book, click here, and to imagine yourself as one of her medical students listening to her lecture, grab your notebook and listen here.