WELLNESS AUTHOR
Tim Caffrey, M.D.
THE KEYS TO LONGEVITY n Dr. Tim Caffrey of Presence Wellness explains the formula to live a longer, healthier life.
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e should not want to simply live for a long time; we should want to be healthy, vibrant and thrive as we age. How do we achieve this? A quick Google search yields hundreds of hits. Some are valid, but many are fueled by magical thinking, bad science and false promises. The good news is that there are legitimate ways to extend your lifespan, help you be healthier and have more energy and focus as you age. Engaging those strategies for health helps you lead a happier, more productive and fulfilling life for as long as possible. The most effective longevity
AUGUST 2020
gains are associated with habits and genetic advantages. It’s old news, but the avoidance of tobacco use is still the single most effective way to extend life. Specifically, those who avoid tobacco will, on average, live 10 years longer than those who don’t. That’s what changing a single habit can do. Of course, a genetic advantage is not so modifiable — an example being that women live, on average, three and a half years longer than men. While the reasons for this advantage are still being unraveled, they appear to primarily be genetic, not cultural — nature, not nurture. Yet while some genetic factors appear fixed, others may be more malleable, with genetic risks amplified by stress levels,
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inflammation and other modifiable factors. Aside from quitting tobacco and having good luck when it comes to genes, there are other ways to boost one’s longevity. While some websites and anti-aging clinics may promote poorly researched pills with exotic-sounding ingredients and fountain-of-youth-type solutions to aging, weight and exercise are, without a doubt, important keys to extending and improving life. Both weight and exercise appear to optimize physiologic processes that promote health and longevity. From studies of weight, specifically Body Mass Index (BMI), there is growing evidence
