An essential prerequisite for longevity: the principles of a healthy lifestyle

“The longest years, the longest”, we wish those celebrating their birthdays on the occasion of their personal anniversaries. In this way, we show that all people hope to live long and happily, to be healthy, but usually until they reach middle age and see with their own eyes the health problems of their parents or even peers. What should we do when we want to reach a gray old age and enjoy good health at the same time?
We talk about it with cardiologist prof. Raimondu KUBILIUMI, Head of the Rehabilitation Clinic of LSMU Kaunas Clinics.
3 exchangeable factors
– Professor, you have mentioned more than once that scientists make a lot of effort to make people live as long as possible healthy, that people do not have enough vitamins to prevent CHD diseases. What should doctor-patient cooperation look like in order to prevent the four biggest pathologies: cardiovascular diseases, oncological diseases, type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases?
– Some researchers believe that human life expectancy could reach up to 150 years, if we really managed to protect ourselves from the pathologies you mentioned. Others draw a more moderate limit of 120 years, based on the experience of the world’s longest-lived woman, 122 years. An essential prerequisite for longevity is to follow the principles of a healthy lifestyle, check and identify the underlying risk factors of various diseases, primarily CVD, and correct them as early as possible. It is necessary for men and women, at the age of 40, to participate in disease prevention and screening programs offered by family doctors, with the first screening for CHD.
The European Society of Cardiology updated a few years ago the methodology of cardiovascular disease screening shows that, unfortunately, every Lithuanian who has reached the age of 50, even if they do not have any risk factors, is already classified as a high cardiovascular risk development group. CVD risk factors are silent (increased cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes) and we may not feel them, but they cause irreparable damage in the body. This is followed by very important screening programs for cancers, gastrointestinal pathology, and more. By the way, the patient’s own involvement in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and the treatment process is also very important. Research shows that in 2019 only 35.1 percent men used medicines prescribed by a doctor, while 50.1% of men used them. women. Finally, we see that we ourselves need to be very actively involved in the management of our disease in order to reach the station of longevity. Unfortunately, neither excessive consumption of vitamins, nutritional supplements, or other magic pills will be enough to live to be at least 90 years old.
– Increased cholesterol and arterial blood pressure, high sugar levels unbalance the body, and if the patient does not completely control the risk factors, his body is constantly immersed in a chronic inflammatory process. Describe the consequences of this process.
– Today, cardiologists count more than 40 CVD risk factors. However, of these, the most important, causing the greatest damage to the heart and blood vessels, are 3 modifiable factors – high blood pressure, cholesterol and smoking. Of course, all other remaining risk factors, uncorrected health conditions, comorbidities (chronic rheumatic, endocrine, etc. diseases) also catalyze unwanted effects and increase cardiovascular risk. In English, it is even said that high cholesterol and diabetes are silent sister killers. By the way, there are only 4 grams of sugar in the body of a person weighing 70 kg. Therefore, how we burden the body by consuming various sweet products. Uncorrected risk factors not only form atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels, but their action also induces a chronic inflammatory process. For example, an atherosclerotic plaque forming in the lumen of a blood vessel causes chronic inflammation in the blood vessel wall and around the wall, thus causing chronic inflammation in the body, the activity of which can already be measured by performing blood tests.
I believe that soon we will be able to assess the inflammatory process caused by the cardiovascular system in the doctor’s office and prescribe the necessary drugs to manage it. This will again be a new stage in longevity.
All diseases are caused by nerves
– Currently, in the public space, one can see many “longevity prophets” who offer various vitamins, nutritional supplements and procedures to people. How could people recognize that this alone is not the key to health?
– In fact, today society is very actively involved in the search for the Grail of longevity, gathers in separate groups, spares no expense for various expensive procedures and research, food supplements, etc. However, first of all, I urge you to understand that longevity is a consequence of how the person himself adheres to the set compass of a healthy lifestyle: avoids risk factors, is physically active and sports, is able to balance work and rest, is involved in social or public activities, actively participates in disease prevention programs offered by the family doctor , is disciplined for the doctor’s recommendations and, of course, is positive, which we cannot yet objectively measure in the doctor’s office.
– I have heard the saying that “all diseases are caused by stress”. Is stress really so powerful that it overcomes even a physically healthy body?
– Stress is indeed a very important risk factor for CVD. It is calculated that the stress experienced in the family or at work is equivalent to the damage caused by smoking to the blood vessels of the heart: due to stress, various biologically active substances are released that cause spasm of blood vessels, increase the atherosclerotic plaque or even its rupture, not to mention the huge impact of stress on blood pressure and pulse. In cardiology, also known as broken heart syndrome, when the effects of extreme fear and stress (an accident, near death, fire, etc.) cause the release of such a huge amount of stress hormones that the heart muscle is instantly weakened, causing a condition similar to a heart attack. Some cases of broken heart syndrome are even fatal. By the way, stress has a huge impact on almost all other diseases. Scientists studying the effects of stress on health have to agree with the wisdom of the ancients that all diseases are caused by nerves.
Klaipėda district has potential
– More than once, we have written about the long-lived residents of our district in our newspaper. Most often, they describe their longevity not as a healthy lifestyle, but as a positive character trait: I was good to others and others were good to me. He also adds that apparently genes played a role. Is longevity really determined by a positive attitude, beautiful relationships? Are genes also important for longevity? What should a person’s daily life look like in order to avoid the main risk factors mentioned above?
– In fact, longevity is currently almost the biggest mystery that scientists and doctors are trying to solve. The long-lived people of our area have precisely defined for you the essence of healthy aging or longevity, which is impossible without the above-mentioned qualities.
By the way, the scientific puzzle of longevity is currently being investigated by studying five places in the world (Loma Linda (California), Nicova (Costa Rica), Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy) and Ikaria (Greece)) that have the most centenarians. On the island of Ikaria, for example, people live an average of 10 years longer, or about one in three Ikarians reach their 90th birthday. The prevalence of arterial hypertension, diabetes, oncological and other diseases is significantly lower in the population of the island of Ikaria compared to ethnic Greeks from other areas.
There is an extant and humorous story about an American who came to Ikaria in the last century to solve the mystery of longevity. Once at a community meeting party, a local sitting next to him asks how old he thinks the woman rushing towards them is. The guest replied that she was probably around 70. Unfortunately, the local explained, she is 94 years old and is our family doctor, to whom we would not recommend the kind of carbonated drinks (coke) that you consume. Ikaria is a very poor island without abundant resources, but the wonderful nature, gathering of residents into communities, social activity, healthy lifestyle and physical activity make it possible to live longer.
– According to research data, in 2022 The average expected life expectancy of residents of Klaipėda district was 76.8 years, in Lithuania – 75.8 years. in 2022 The average expected life expectancy of women in Klaipėda district municipality is 80.5 years, in Lithuania – 80.0 years. in 2022 The average expected life expectancy of men in Klaipėda district municipality is 73.3 years, in Lithuania – 71.3. In the Klaipėda district, three quarters of the population live in the countryside. Do you think living in a rural area (and the aspects related to it, such as being able to grow your own fruit, vegetables, being in the fresh air more often) has an effect on longevity?
– I believe that the Klaipėda district has all the necessary opportunities to take the lead, applying for the district with the most persons aged 90 and over. There are all the necessary conditions for this: the clean and unpolluted environment of the bends of Minija, the infrastructure created and developed for the necessary physical activity, especially in Gargžda, the larger part of the population living in the rural area, has the opportunity to eat their own fruits and vegetables, avoid the noise of the city, and balance rest and work modes. The self-government of Klaipėda district, in turn, should seek to create maximum opportunities so that absolutely all residents of the district participate in preventive disease screening programs, which would allow for timely control and treatment of chronic diseases.

Kraštietis, cardiologist prof. R. Kubilius offers to present together a recipe for longevity:

• regular daily physical activity is a universal remedy against more than 50 chronic diseases. It has been scientifically proven that people over 62 age 7,500 steps per day or 150 min. moderate-intensity physical activity per week significantly prevents death from any cause. Finally, replacing sitting time with standing time by more than 30 percent. reduce the risk of death from any cause;
• sleep duration – 6-8 hours, which not only helps to rest the body, but also reduces the amount of stress hormones and eases heart activity. Less than 6 hours or more than 8 hours. sleep duration is associated with a shorter lifespan;
• healthy diet and be sure to develop the feeling that you are not 100% full, but 80%;
• involvement in community activities and social activism;
• for non-major CHD risk factors: do not smoke, correct high blood pressure and cholesterol levels;
• be positive, don’t hold grudges.

Prepared by Gabriele ČIUNKAITĖ
Personal archive photo.