The “well” elderly

As published in Blueprint Thursday 7th June 2012

The life expectancy of Nigerians at birth today is 52 years on average. Compare this with that of a Japanese child born today, who is expected to live up to 85 years of age.

Britain's oldest student recently graduated from university aged 91- and is still planning to go on and do a PHD. Bertie Gladwin, 91, said that he had "a lot of laughs" with students less than a third of his age. Bertie, a former civil servant graduated with distinction in Masters in intelligence history. Despite him being more than 60 years older than his course mates.

My father does not know his age. But, he knows he is about or over 80 years of age. The most important aspect of his life however, is good health and an absence of any serious disease. Mr Olowookere, 90, is one of my patients and he has had a few health challenges. He walks into my office slowly but engages me in bright and stimulating conversation. Actually, talking to him enriches me. They are some of the few, very lucky, well, elderly people in Nigeria who are living to a ripe old age and in relative good health. These are the “wellderly” according to the Independent On Sunday newspaper. What most have in common are education and a good dose of intelligence.

You should interpret this story on the back ground of other people (younger) who are developing arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, strokes, memory failure and early senile dementia. Some of my patients have recently started complaining about difficulties remembering things, which is impacting on their lives. These are young middle age men and women (40 to 65 years) who are slowly falling apart in the mental and physical department. Some Nigerians do live till a ripe old age but it is difficult to know who will and, more importantly, if, YOU, will grow old. What are you going to do?

It is all a matter of making the right life style choices

Before that, let me tell you about the human brain and the concept of brain plasticity. The brain is in two halves each connected to each other by a thick bridge of nerves in the centre. This way the left half of the brain can control the muscles on the right side of the body through the nerves in the bridge (and vice versa). Of course, because of the connection, the two halves know what the other is doing. Did you get that? Ok. Now stimulating both sides of the brain, for example, in people who can use both hands effectively, leads to better connectivity through the bridge. The bridge is thicker in ambidextrous people. Similarly, since different parts of the brain do different things, being a jack of all trades, actually allows your whole brain to develop immensely. Plasticity means the ability of a part of the brain to perform functions it was not originally designed for: through education.

This is where education comes into play

One key concept implies that education improves health. Through education, individuals gain the ability to be effective agents in their own lives. Education improves physical functioning and enables a healthy lifestyle. (1) Education enables people to coalesce health-producing behaviours into a coherent lifestyle, (2) gives a sense of control over outcomes in one's own life, and (3) educated parents inspire a healthy lifestyle in their children. These lifestyle changes brought on by education is important as there are diseases with natural histories that include conscious exposure to certain health-compromising or risk factors. An example is heart disease associated with cigarette smoking, poor dietary habits, lack of exercise, and sustained un-buffered stress. Are your children developing into healthy adults, simply by your example?

Mental health is also very important and cuts across educational ability, status and economic power. One in four people in the UK will suffer a mental health problem in the course of a year. One in five Nigerians is said to suffer from depression. Having low levels of education, a low income, being unemployed, living in poor housing, and membership of low socio economic classes are all associated with a greater risk of experiencing a mental health problem. People without a degree are almost twice as likely to experience depression as those with a degree.

This is where intelligence comes into play

Large studies of almost an entire population in Scotland found that intelligence in childhood predict substantial differences in adult morbidity and mortality, including deaths from cancers and cardiovascular diseases. These relations remain significant after controlling for socioeconomic variables. One possible, partial explanation of these results is that intelligence enhances individuals' care of their own health because it represents learning, reasoning, and problem-solving skills useful in preventing chronic disease and accidental injury and in adhering to complex treatment regimens. Intelligence prevents you from running across a busy motor way in the belief that you are smart enough to avoid the speeding cars, all the time. Intelligence allows a Government to plan ahead for population growth: 25-50 years ahead when allocating resources, building structures or planning cities.  

Intelligence, emotional Intelligence (EQ) this time, is the ability to perceive, understand and reflectively manage one's own emotions and those of others. There is a relationship between a measure of EQ and subjective stress, distress, general health, morale, quality of working life and management performance. For example, managers who scored higher in EQ suffered less subjective stress, experienced better health and well-being, and demonstrated better management performance. Mindfulness is a mind-body approach to life that helps people to relate differently to experiences. It involves paying attention to thoughts, feelings and body sensations in a way that increases our ability to manage difficult experiences and make wise choices. It is a protective mechanism to mind your own body.

You have to make wise choices

Almost all diseases including cancer are preventable if you make wise life style choices. When last did you dance or laugh with reckless abandon, without someone telling you off? Does your wife say you are behaving like a teenager and do you not know your age? When was the last time you did any house work or tidy the garden and wash the car? Do you go for walks or even jog (exercise improves brain power and memory)? Do you eat just enough to keep body and soul together and or eat like there is no tomorrow? Do you eat the biggest meat in the pot and the choicest, richest meals: because you can afford it? You like alcohol and cigarettes? Is it fun to have sex with as many women as come through your office? How many wives are enough? Or is life too short that you have to pack it like a suitcase on an ARIK flight? Do you read and understand what you read, digest and discuss it intelligently? Do you travel to different places, explore new ideas, do things out of your particular area of interest? 

Studies have pointed to many likely reasons why one may not live to a ripe old age. Some of these are limited access to healthcare and other resources, poorer living conditions, chronic stress and higher rates of lifestyle risk factors like smoking. Note as well that the top five heart disease risk factors are cigarette smoking, low intelligence, low income, high blood pressure, and low physical activity. Lower IQ scores could raise the risk of heart disease -- in particular a person's approach to "healthy behaviour." Those who ignored or failed to understand advice about the risks of smoking or benefits of good diet and exercise for health would be more likely to be at higher risk of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, arthritis and stroke. 

Do we have to make this ‘simpler’ for you?

You can and you should train your brain, and challenge yourself to achieve more: be intelligent. This behavioural change will increase your life span. Low level of intelligence could kill you! Remember the joke: Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s....which one would you, rather have? Parkinson’s, of course! Better to spill half your drink than forget where you put it!