Word: person
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...Robert Butler of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City puts it, "Disease, not age, is the villain." The good news is that in many instances, physical disorders that afflict the aging can be effectively treated. Today even multiple afflictions do not necessarily incapacitate a person. Citing the case of a man of 75 who has diabetes, heart disease and a history of cancer, Rowe points out, "You can't tell me whether that man is in a nursing home or sitting on the Supreme Court...
...start out with the same pulse rate, notes Vincent Cristofalo, director of the University of Pennsylvania's center for the study of aging. "Even when they stop," he notes, "their pulses may be only a little different. The big difference will be in how long it takes for each person's pulse rate to return to normal...
Slowed recovery has a profound impact when it comes to illness. With advancing years, bones take longer to knit, wounds to heal and infections to clear up. Ultimately, says Cassel, the difference is that a "healthy young person can lose a lung, a kidney and do fine. And so too an old person can be doing fine, but then he has a stroke, a heart attack, whatever. Because of the stress, it's much more likely that all the major organs will go one after the other...
...immune system starts to decline at around age 30. For instance, white blood cells that fight off invaders, such as viruses and bacteria, lose their effectiveness as a person gets older. The gradual weakening of the immune system makes it harder to stave off illness...
...gerontologists have no surefire prescription for staying healthy longer, but they do make some strong recommendations: stay out of the sun, cut back on drinking and stop smoking. They stress that it is never too late to adopt better habits. A person of 70 who stops smoking immediately reduces the risk of developing heart disease. The elderly should follow general principles of a sound diet: avoid foods rich in cholesterol or saturated fat, such as eggs and beef, and eat more chicken and fish. Seniors should stress high-fiber foods, including whole-grain cereals and many fruits, and items rich...