I had the great opportunity to hear Dr. Ken Rockwoodspeak last night at a free public lecture on aging here in Halifax. There is so much to say about Dr. Rockwood that I won’t even start. I connected with Dr. Rockwood when I was taking product design at NSCAD University, and we worked closly together in developing a reflex hammer especially designed for the fragile bodies of geriatric patients.
Suffice it to say that I really appreciated the opportunity to attend the lecture last night, part of a conference on aging held in Halifax this past week, and concluding today. This is a topic that interests me because of the suffering of my mother, as you may recall from my previous blog post. Another reason for attending is pure selfishness: I’d like to know what, if anything, I may be able to do to prevent my own sinking into a similar state. I understand that this is not a matter of willpower, but nonetheless, one is interested in inquiring…
There was much talk about abnormal transmembrane proteins, enzymatic action, and so on. But Dr. Rockwood has a good sense of humour and is an easy speaker; he understood that some of the audience members have non-medical backgrounds – although not nearly enough of the regular public took advantage of the opportunity, if you ask me. He spoke eloquently about how drugs are developed, and markers and measures for the testing of drugs: how can you actually tell that a drug is working, when most people who suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease also suffer from other illnesses as well.
I will not attempt to include everything that was said last night, but in his closing remarks, Dr. Rockwood emphasized that what really mattered was to stop spending money on drugs that don’t work, examine the impact of surgeries and chemotherapy on effected sufferers (quoting “Pneumonia is the old man’s best friend” … perhaps a harsh opinion, but one I agree with), and lastly, but most definitely not least: mobility. Mobilize people, think bigger and build buildings and cities that allow people to be active and move about in them, emphasize the importance of social engagement and exercise, particularly in groups, which nails both birds with one stone. This last point brings home what I have been believeing in for years now, ever since I discovered the quirky book Younger Next Year. As goofy as that book may be, its science made a lot of sense to me when I first read it, and it did get me started with regular visits to the gym. Discussions with my brother, Dr. Uli Andrich, a specialist in cirulatory health (in Austria!), has further inspired me. He has the following prescription to half your chance of a heart attack or stroke:
raise your heart rate above a hundred (doesn’t have to be much above 100, so it doesn’t have to be hard at all), for a consecutive 40 minutes, 3 times a week (or more).
100x40x3 …. Do it up, sista!
So that is my goal, and I encourage you to consider the same! Having said that, I will go out for a leisurely jog/fast walk with my dog now, on this gorgeous mid-November (!) afternoon. And for a little entertainment and as an extra encouragement, have a look at this fantastic little video here, especially you women out there, and those who love them: Just a little Heart Attack.
Our Future is Aging, so let’s try to do it as well as possible. I will leave you with that thought, and best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to my American Readers!
