A cardiologist who has treated more than 450,000 patients in his 40-plus year career told a group of men at Whitby Castle recently that to live a long life, they should forget the gimmicks and stick to what works: exercise, maintaining healthy weight, relationships, and good eating.
More than 55 men — many of them over 55 themselves — listened as Edward R. Schuster, a Stamford-based cardiologist and member of the Stamford Hospital Foundation Board, noted that most of his patients over 100 years of age are women. But the ones who are men seem to have some things in common: They cultivate a sense of gratitude, have a caring family, and know their family history, including that of their siblings.
It helps, he added, to live in a good zip code without too many fast food joints.
At the same time, Schuster, who was invited to speak at the Tuesdays at 10 program at Whitby Castle, cautioned against knowing too much, noting that genetic information is now available through new technologies. In the book “The Measure,” author Nikki Erlick asks, “If you could pull a string that would tell you the length of your life, would you do it?” Schuster posed this question to the group, but very few hands went up.
Longevity Marching Orders
Instead, Schuster broke down a method that he said (with some levity) would help men live to 120:
Exercise: Whatever we know about our genetic profile or family history, Schuster was clear about one thing: The best thing you can do for your health is exercise. It doesn’t matter what kind — just do something at least four days a week. Exercise, he said, is important at every stage of life, and helps keep dementia at bay. We’ve all heard about 10,000 steps, but Schuster said the new conventional wisdom is that 7.000 is fine too.
Take your pills: Schuster talked about the unfilled prescriptions that sit in pharmacies. Take your medications your doctor prescribes as prescibed, he said.
Guard against falls — and sports disappointment: Schuster’s cautionary humor included a warning of “cold Mondays in January.” Slipping on the ice can have long-term implications for the elderly. Watching stressful sporting events — especially those where your team loses — can increase the risk of heart attack.
Engage your brain: Schuster asked the crowd how to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. The answers were flowing. “Read.” “Make your bed.” Those are all fine, Schuster said, but exercising the mind is the most important. He urged going to school, studying and even doing chores, which together can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by 12 percent.
Be social: Being married, living with someone, having friends, staying engaged can all help keep serious illness at bay. Going to a house of worship, he said, can add seven years to one’s life.
Watch your weight: Weight loss — that’s “the holy grail,” Schuster said. He encouraged those who are overweight to consider GLP-1 drugs. One audience member asked, “Isn’t it better to lose weight naturally?” Schuster explained that while losing weight naturally is good, the GLP-1 drugs also have anti-inflammatory properties, which are also helpful. The other “holy grail” of medicine? “Hair loss,” he said, followed by a shake of the head. Nothing miraculous there yet.
Eat healthy: “Olive oil is God’s gift to humanity,” Schuster told the audience. Along with olive oil, he recommended fish, nuts, vegetables, and legumes, noting it’s better to get your vitamins from food than from pills. Blueberries, he said, are “the perfect fruit.” Coffee and dark European chocolate are good choices as well.
Other tips included wearing seat belts and helmets and getting a calcium score, a quick, non-invasive procedure that measures buildup in coronary arteries. He also said, “Stay out of the hospital,” which got some chuckles but which Schuster said is quite serious, given the germs and contamination in hospitals.
The group was perhaps most delighted with his advice about alcohol: One or two drinks per day for men is just fine, he said, and the increased risk of cancer is “tiny.” That line got applause.
His final advice? Enjoy yourself. Take vacations. Remember: Life is not a dress rehearsal.
Tuesdays at 10 started two years ago to bring together men, particularly those of retirement age, for fellowship, community service, and philanthropy.
