To Your Health
June, 2017 (Vol. 11, Issue 06)
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The Key to Healthy Aging?

By Editorial Staff

Interested in maintaining flexible, high-functioning blood vessels for a lifetime? OK, so first you probably need to know why that's important. Blood vessel integrity / health is important because as we age, our blood vessels generally get stiffer and lose elasticity.

When that happens, they are less capable of absorbing the "impact" of blood rushing through them each time the heart contracts. With less shock-absorption ability, high blood pressure can occur, elevating the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

OK, back to how to keep those blood vessels young. According to recent research, it's as easy as avoiding the common risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, poor diet, inactivity, obesity, smoking, and yes – high blood pressure. In fact, older adults (ages 50 and older) who avoided six or more of the above risk factors were 10 times more likely to have healthy (flexible, properly functioning) blood vessels than similarly aged subjects who avoided one or less risk factors.

Avoid heart disease risk factors and keep your vascular system young at the same time – which will keep your risk of heart problems low! Now that's a win-win. Talk to your doctor for more information.