The experts are quite clear. It’s not a genetic lottery. “We all want to live in good health and good condition as we get older, and we also want to experience it well,” says geriatrician Eva Topinková in our podcast. When it comes to aging, it’s good to remember one thing – you pretty much have it all in your hands.
You can find the podcast interview in the audio version right here:
The fact that your father, grandfather and great-grandfather died of a heart attack before the age of 60 does not mean that it must also concern you. And if you have at least a little caught up with the current fashion wave, you have an even greater chance of avoiding similar problems altogether. Or at least slow them down significantly. Which is worth a little effort.
Genetics? Only in part.
“Some say that how you age is decided even before birth, and it is true that the occurrence of certain diseases is already more likely due to how the child develops in the womb,” says geriatrician Eva Topinková, head of the Department of Geriatrics and Internal Medicine of the 1st Faculty of Medicine of the University of Prague and the General Faculty Hospital in Prague, in the iReceptář do úcha podcast.
Even the diseases most affected by genetic load, however, have an influence of twenty, maybe thirty percent at the most, according to experts. “And that’s still quite a bit,” adds the doctor. Moreover, in the vast majority of cases, genetics only affects our physical and mental health by two or three percent.
Your own decision
It is clear that completely different things are overpowering genetics. “Habits that you can adopt in your youth, but also in middle age,” says the doctor. “Just when the first signs of aging appear and you notice.”
At the same time, he agrees with experts from many other fields and specializations that this is nothing new. A healthy lifestyle, i.e. not only a balanced diet, but also movement and enough sleep. According to the doctor, all these habits should go hand in hand with reasonable preparation of the financial situation. “It’s simple. Anyone who tries to reach old age in relatively excellent health has a good chance of succeeding.”
