Empowering CanadiansAging
AGE-WELL is bringing everyone together to deliver technology-based solutions that support older adults and caregivers, while driving Canada’s AgeTech sector.
Read more on page 3 and visit agewell-nce.ca
When were you first diagnosed with OCD and ADHD?
The first time I was diagnosed, I was in my mid-forties. It was based on an ultimatum that my wife gave me to seek professional help. So, I went to therapy and got diagnosed.
What has your experience been like dealing with anxiety, ADHD, and OCD?
I deal with it every day, but I've acquired better coping skills. Each of the conditions is different. People always say that I have a bit of OCD. You can't have a little bit of OCD. It's like a skipping record. You may have a weird intrusive thought go into your mind, and then it goes out, and you can move on with your day. I have thoughts that go in, and then it's on a loop, and I can't get out of them. It's tough. But I'm now surrounded by really caring people and great professionals, and I'm medicated, and I do therapy, so I'm able to work my way through.
What have you found most helpful in maintaining a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle while living with a mental health concern?
Well, I come from a generation with a huge stigma attached to mental health. People don't seek the help they need. And sometimes the help we need is just to talk to somebody. We all go through things in life. You don't have to have OCD or ADHD or even anxiety to have a mental health problem to have coping skills. How do you cope?
All this is mental health. I wish people took care of their mental health the way they take care of their dental health. Even if you don't have pain, you'll go once a year or a couple of times a year to get your teeth cleaned or an X-ray. Secondly, I also find that the older you get, the fewer opportunities people give themselves to stay busy. For me, it's the distraction. And that gets me through.
I'm busier now than I've ever been in my life. I'm doing Amer-
ica's Got Talent: All-Stars. When that finishes, I'll start doing the next season of AGT. I'm doing Canada's Got Talent, a podcast with my daughter, touring, and producing other things. That may not work for everybody, but my little deterrent is the distraction and keeping busy.
Would you say there are misconceptions about mental health in older adults?
In our generation, mental ill-
ness, even the word mental, has a stigma. They think it's embarrassing, but I don't. I think that's the misconception that it's embarrassing to admit that you have a mental health problem. And if you do have a mental health problem, you need to be institutionalized. And there's nothing wrong with being institutionalized if that's how far it's going. But having a mental health problem is the same as having a physical one. People get diagnosed all the time if they have pain somewhere or if they're losing weight, but for some reason, if their mind hurts, they don't. They keep it quiet and keep it a secret.
What are the best mental health resources for aging Canadians to use?
Start with the people, your first resources, whoever you're around, whether it's a significant other, a child, your caregiver, or your doctor. Just be open and start the conversation.
Publisher: Taskeen Afshan Business Development Manager: Karim Jooma Country Manager: Nina Theodorlis Production Lead: Michael Taylor Designers: Kylie Armishaw, Lauren Livingston Lead
Editor: Karthik Talwar All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise
Seniors Have a Right to Make Their Own Decisions — Until They Can’t
We
don’t lose the right to make our own decisions just because we're older.
Krista James
We make decisions all the time. Some decisions occur daily. We choose what to eat, what to wear, and how to spend our money. Others occur less often. For example, who should I recognize in my will? Who would I trust to make my financial decisions if I become incapable?
We may be more conscious of making decisions when we sign forms, for example, when we buy a car or consent to a medical procedure. But decisions are everywhere, and the freedom to make our own choices is a fundamental part of expressing who we are, living the life we want, and spending time with the people we care about.
Decision-making rights and elder abuse
Imagine someone tried to prevent you from driving your car. Maybe they think you should retire — but you love your work and excel at your job. For most of us, the prospect of losing our autonomy is terrifying. Unfortunately, younger people often think they’re entitled to make decisions for their aging parents or grandparents. Sometimes, people assume they can’t make good choices as they get older. They think they know what is best for us. They may mean well, or they may be trying to control us or our money. They may pressure us to sign documents that give them power over some of our decisions.
They may prefer choices that reflect their emotional or financial needs, not ours. For example, a common dynamic is forcing an older person to move into long-term care, so that younger family members feel reassured that the older person is safe. It’s true that sometimes older people cannot make a decision about long-term care admission because they cannot understand relevant information or risks. In those cases, a legal substitute decision-maker may make the choice. But often, we want to age in our own homes, and we understand the risks, such as the possibility of falling down the stairs. We may be willing to accept this risk in exchange for our freedom. The law doesn’t allow younger people to bubble-wrap their elders to soothe their anxiety.
We
are entitled to make our own decisions until we’re unable to understand the information relevant to those decisions.
Much elder abuse is rooted in a desire to control older people’s lives and second-guess their judgement.
We have a right to make our own decisions
The law is very clear: we’re entitled to make our own decisions until we’re not able to understand the information relevant to those decisions. Canadian laws related to guardianship, health care consent, and powers of attorney law affirm that everyone is presumed capable until they demonstrate otherwise. This means we do not lose the right to make our own decisions because we get older or have a disabil-
ity — unless that disability significantly impairs our ability to understand information and evaluate options.
There are some exceptions to this rule. For example, if I’m unconscious after a car accident, someone in my family may make deci sions about my care. If no one’s available to make a health-care decision, a health-care provider can provide emergency care without my consent. However, generally, whether we’re at the hospital, the doctor’s office, or in long-term care, we’re entitled to make the decisions we understand. Most older people are able to make all of their own deci sions. This includes people who are living with dementia — until the dementia is very progressed.
Decision-making support is key to maintaining autonomy
However, as we get older, we may have trouble making some decisions by ourselves. We may struggle to recall pertinent information or understand complicated details. Some of us may need a guardian or another person to make our decisions. This substitute decision-maker could be a family member.
But many of us just need help with decision-making. Support should be tailored to our unique abilities. A supportive friend or family member might take notes to assist with follow-through and recall. They might research possible side effects of medication or help us ask questions about risks. My father has communication difficulties. I interpret his words for others when his speech gets garbled.
Everyone should be able to participate in their own decisions to the best of their abilities. There’s so much we can do support decision-making. In many environments, like a public hospital, the right to support with communication is protected by human rights law.
Making our own choices gives meaning and purpose to our lives.
The Canadian Centre for Elder Law has created booklets and videos on decision-making rights and supported decision-making health care and investment.
AgeTech Leads the Way to a Better Future for Older Canadians
AGE-WELL, Canada’s technology and aging network, is bringing everyone together to accelerate the delivery of technologies that support healthy aging.
When Bea Kraayenhof, a retired Niagara-based nurse, was diagnosed with essential tremor — a neurological disorder that causes involuntary, rhythmic shaking — some of her everyday activities and favourite pastimes, like making handmade greeting cards, suddenly became daunting.
Fortunately, Kraayenhof was introduced to Guided Hands™, an assistive device enabling people with limited hand mobility to write, paint, draw, and access technology through touch-screen devices. “Guided Hands gives you confidence,” says Kraayenhof, and is easy to use. “I could just put my hand in, strap in, and start,” she says. “It’s something that every person who has hand problems should really have.”
Working across the innovation pipeline Guided Hands™ was invented by Lianna Genovese, who came up with the idea while studying biomedical and mechanical engineering at McMaster University. She then founded her own startup, ImaginAble Solutions, to develop and bring Guided Hands to market. Support from AGE-WELL, Canada’s technology and aging network, was critical in realizing her goal.
“AGE-WELL connected us with mentors, advisors, and a whole bunch of different resources,” says Genovese. “They also helped us secure funding for manufacturing to introduce Guided Hands™ to individuals and healthcare facilities across North America.”
AGE-WELL is a federally funded pan-Canadian network with a broad mandate to seize the opportunity that technology offers to support older adults and caregivers, and
benefit Canada’s economy. Its mission is to develop a community of researchers, older adults, caregivers, partner organizations, and future leaders that accelerates the delivery of technology-based solutions that make a meaningful difference in Canadians’ lives.
“We work across the full breadth of the innovation pipeline, from early-stage research to validation and implementation,” says Dr. Alex Mihailidis, AGE-WELL’s Scientific Director and CEO. “With an aging population and the growing everyday pervasiveness of technology, it’s important and essential work.”
Over 170 technologies, services, policies and practices are in development or already having an impact. These include virtual exercise systems, smart home sensors, remote therapies, and medication and daily life management services for people living with dementia. Another active area of research is public policy, and how it can support the growth of new technologies.
Promoting healthy aging
AGE-WELL’s aim is to help older Canadians maintain their independence, health, and quality of life through technologies and services that increase their safety and security, support their independent living, and enhance their social participation. This work takes a village.
“Our work is about bringing everyone together, breaking down silos between research disciplines and sectors, and involving older adults and caregivers,” says Dr. Mihailidis.
AGE-WELL has over 250 researchers at 48 universities and research centres Canada-wide, over 1,200 trainees, and more than 425 industry, government, and non-
Don’t Leave Your End-of-Life Care to Chance
Advance Care Planning: The importance of thinking about, recording, and sharing your health-care wishes when you can’t speak for yourself
Dying With Dignity Canada
We live in a death-denying culture, yet death is the one certainty for all of us. Therefore, thinking and talking about what we want or don’t want at the end of life is critical. When our loved ones know our wishes, it makes this difficult moment in life easier for everyone.
“Clear health directives can make the difference between a tranquil and tender end-of-life experience and one with conflict and stress,” says Caroline Variath, a registered nurse.
Only one in five Canadians has recorded their endof-life wishes. It’s a task easily avoided on the to-do list, which is why Dying With Dignity Canada has created a free Advance Care Planning (ACP) Kit. The kit is intended to provoke thinking, conversation, and planning and to encourage communication among you, your loved ones, and your health-care provider.
Once complete, you’ll have a document that clearly states who your Substitute Decision-Maker(s) are, what health-care interventions or treatments you do or do not want, and some direction on starting conversations with your family and your primary health-care provider about your wishes. The wishes and details you create can then be transferred to the specific documents required by the province or territory you live in. This content should be reviewed and updated regularly, but completing the first draft is the most important step.
At Dying With Dignity Canada, part of our mission is to ensure quality end-of-life choice and care through support and education. In addition to the ACP Kit, we have several resources about end-of-life choice, including our Patient Rights Guide, webinars, directories, and information about navigating a request for medical assistance in dying (MAID).
profit partners. It also supports over 60 Canadian startups that are commercializing AgeTech products, creating jobs and making sales. Approximately 5,000 older adults and caregivers are involved in all aspects of the network’s activities.
And there are exciting opportunities ahead. AGE-WELL is partnering with MEDTEQ+ on an initiative called envisAGE that will advance Canada’s AgeTech ecosystem by helping companies deliver technology solutions to Canadians. envisAGE is supported through the federal government’s Strategic Innovation Fund.
AGE-WELL also continues to advocate for cutting-edge research that allows Canadian researchers to bring life to their visionary ideas. AGE-WELL and Canadian Frailty Network have teamed up to create a new healthy aging research collaboration. “Continued investment in research is critical in order to feed the innovation pipeline and ensure that Canada’s AgeTech ecosystem will thrive in years ahead,” says Dr. Mihailidis.
“More than ever, technological research and innovation is needed to promote healthy aging, to enable Canadians to age safely wherever they choose, and to transform care and services for older adults.”
AGE-WELL
This article was sponsored by AGE-WELL
Campaign Aims to Make Canada a Leader in Combating Ageism
The Canadian Coalition Against Ageism will create a national strategy for engagement, collaboration, and communication to change the narrative around aging.
Abigail Cukier
Ageism refers to the way we think, feel, and behave towards people based on their age. And according to a 2021 World Health Organization report, one out of every two people is ageist against older people.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and amplified the impact of ageism, creating crises in the lives of older Canadians, for example, access to health care, crisis in long-term care, social isolation and loss of autonomy, independence, and dignity. Canadian society faces an urgent ethical, moral, and legal imperative to combat ageism to enhance and protect the human rights of older persons, says Dr. Kiran Rabheru, International Longevity Centre Canada (ILC-C) board chair.
“What you permit, you promote”, Dr. Rabheru says. “The status quo is unacceptable to Canadians, and we need all hands-on deck.” Therefore, the ILC-C has launched the Canadian Coalition Against Ageism (CCAA), a nation-wide social change movement to combat ageism against older people while strengthening and protecting their human rights. The CCAA has a reach of “millions” of Canadians.
ILC-C is an independent think tank created to guide policies addressing aging. Through education, enhanced intergenerational relations, and by influencing laws around discrimination and inequality, its CCAA campaign will transform policies, practices, power dynamics, and social norms. Its mission is to make Canada a leader in combating ageism and create a national strategy for engagement, collaboration, and communication to change the narrative around aging.
The organization is also working to have Canada lead a United Nations convention on the rights of older persons. This would create a universal framework to scrutinize all policies, procedures, and laws to ensure accountability and guide policymaking, and provide legally binding protection of older persons’ rights.
ILC-C founding president Margaret Gillis says, “We call on Canadians to support a United Nations convention on the rights of older persons. Canada must engage actively at the United Nations to achieve this goal.”
Bea Kraayenhof Retired Nurse, and Lianna Genovese
Dr.
Dr. Kiran Rabheru Board Chair, ILC-C Margaret Gillis Founding President,
Tania Amardeil
JBuilding a Hopeful, Fulfilled Life with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Collaborating and communicating openly with their health-care provider helps RA patients reach their goals.
ulia Chayko woke up one day feeling achy and sore. Her joints were stiff and swollen. Then she felt better later that afternoon. This went on for a couple of weeks, with Chayko waking up feeling unwell and recovering later in the day. Her general practitioner sent her to see a rheumatologist, who diagnosed Chayko with rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, where the immune system attacks the lining of the joints.1 RA affects about 1 in 100 Canadians, most often women.2,3 Researchers don’t know why some people develop RA, although it’s believed to be a combination of genetics and environmental triggers.4 RA causes joint pain, stiffness and swelling, particularly in the hands and feet, as well as the wrists, knees, shoulders and ankles.5 This can make even everyday tasks difficult.
A writer, dancer and actress, Chayko was surprised by her diagnosis. “I was quite young and incredibly fit. I ate the right things. My parents didn’t know anyone in our family who had the disease. So, it took a bit of time to get used to the whole idea,” says Chayko, who was diagnosed at 38, about a decade ago.
Dr. Michelle Teo, a rheumatologist in Penticton, BC, says this can be the greatest challenge for many patients. “It
can be hard to accept, that despite living a healthy life, you have this condition that you don’t have any control over,” she says. “Our job as rheumatologists is to communicate to patients how this is not their fault and to find a way to develop that trusting relationship where they are willing to try to live a well-balanced life.”
Managing the disease
Chayko said it took a few tries to find the right plan that worked for her. In addition to treatment, she relied on other strategies to manage her condition, including seeking the advice of an occupational therapist to help make everyday tasks easier and exercise guidance from a physiotherapist. With time and the support of her physician, Julia’s condition stabilized.
“It’s really important that you have a plan and feel comfortable to say, ‘This isn’t working for me, is there something else we can try?’ Finding those answers relies on a really collaborative professional relationship with your healthcare team.”
Dr. Teo agrees. “This is a lifelong condition. We are all hoping for the day when there is a cure. But until that time, it is important that we incorporate goal setting into patient care—to get the inflammation under control and for the patient to preserve their quality of life.”
While Dr. Teo applauds today’s treatment, she says what works is individual to each patient. Condition management plans must be tailored to a patient’s specific symptoms, lifestyle and goals. Dr. Teo says she works with her patients toward their specific goals, whether that means getting back to their favourite hobbies or even day to day activities without pain.
Showing yourself some grace
“It can be overwhelming, especially at the beginning,” says Dr. Teo. “A lot of the initial appointments can be spent just wrapping your head around what it means to have this disease. But once that has been digested, I think patients should really ask themselves, ‘What are my goals?’ or ‘What are my hopes through treatment?’”
Chayko says she was lucky to be able to move to part-time work and have more time for exercise and rest. But even if this is not possible, she urges others with RA to take time to move every day and to prioritize what needs to be done— and let go of everything else.
“Be patient with yourself, because you’re going to get frustrated. You’re going to have days where you might feel really awful,” she says. “It takes time to learn how to live with this. But there are a lot of options that can help us. Be kind to yourself.”
From Biologics to Biosimilars: The Art of Equivalence
Drugs derived from complex biological sources, known as biologics, have been in use for over a century, but with recent advances in genetic technology, the field has exploded.
As patents on some biologics expire, pharmaceutical companies are bringing their own, less costly versions of these treatments, known as biosimilars, to market.
Different but equivalent
Biosimilars, by definition, aren’t perfect molecular copies of the drugs they mimic. The validation standards for similarity, however, are very high.
“The biosimilar molecules must be demonstrated to have the same basic protein structure, with only minor folding or side-chain differences,” says Dr. Janet Pope, a rheumatologist at St. Joseph’s Health Centre and a Professor of Medicine at Western University. The onus of responsibility is on drug manufacturers to demonstrate that minor differences between biosimilars and the original biologic won’t affect patient treatment outcomes, meaning that health care providers can have confidence in the safety and efficacy of the biosimilar. Moreover, according to the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, the use of biosimilars can save the Canadian health care system approximately $1.8 billion per year.
As they come to market, biosimilars are providing new options for treating a wide variety of conditions, including ulcerative colitis. “Characteristic symptoms of ulcerative colitis include rectal bleeding, reduced stool consistency, and increased frequency and urgency of bowel movements,” explains Dr. Neeraj Narula, Director of the IBD clinic at McMaster University and President of the Canadian IBD Research Consortium. “Biologics have changed the landscape of ulcerative colitis and are very effective therapies. Biosimilars are effective and they work in the same fashion as the originator molecule, so I don’t have concerns when using biosimilars for patients in need of biologic therapy.”
More choices, better outcomes
Rheumatology is another field of medical care where biologics and biosimilars are changing the treatment landscape. Biologics have proven to be very effective in managing severe cases of rheumatoid arthritis, and some of the first biosimilars to be approved in Canada were indicated for arthritis. As a result, rheumatologists have been on the front lines of patient concerns about switching.
“There was a time when the public and some physicians didn’t understand that generics would save a lot of money without putting someone at risk,” says Dr. John Esdaile, Scientific Director of Arthritis Research Canada. “Those on a chronic prescription for a drug often don’t notice when they’re being switched back and forth among the generics. No one thinks much about this anymore. The main difference today is that the injection system to administer a biosimilar is different from the originator’s. In the future, we’ll talk of biogenerics and no one will care. Both the rheumatologist and their pharmacist will be knowledgeable about the topic and help their patient make the transition.”
Biosimilars are expanding the breadth of treatments available to patients and health providers in rheumatology, ulcerative colitis, and many other medical disciplines, but there remains a need for public education. It’s essential that patients taking or considering biologics have an informed dialogue with their doctors about biosimilars and whether they may be a wise option in their personalized treatment plans.
Arthritis
Dr. Neeraj Narula Director,
Innovative Treatments Pave the Way for Better, Stronger Health-Care System
Biosimilars offer patients and clinicians hope, increasing access to new innovative treatment options.
Sonya Friesen
Enter biosimilars
Incredible advancements in healthcare have allowed clinicians to treat disease areas that — for years — have eluded them. From arthritis to diabetes, developments in how we treat conditions are likely to have played a substantial role in increasing the global lifespan by roughly a decade over the last 50 years.
Biosimilars are one such advancement, helping the health-care industry reimagine disease treatment. Biosimilars emerged over the last two decades, resulting from the global health-care system’s growing reliance and comfortability with biologic medications. They’re changing the way we approach diseases, while at the same time offering health-care systems the ability to invest in newer, innovative options.
Breaking down biologics
Most medications found in the average Canadian’s medicine cabinet are considered synthetic drugs. In structure, these drugs are relatively simple and can be easily copied. A generic drug is a lower-cost alternative, replicating the synthetic’s exact chemical structure, hitting shelves once the patent on the original expires.
Meanwhile, biologic drugs are made by living cells, created through a biological process. This means they have a targeted effect on how cells function, honing in on the specific processes responsible for causing negative disease outcomes. Insulin — perhaps the world’s first biologic — is a familiar example, not only having played a role in changing the way diabetes is treated but helping to advance iterations of biologic treatment for the indication.
“The real advantage to a biologic medication is that they’re incredibly effective, more so than traditional medications,” says Dr. Diane Lacaille, Scientific Director for Arthritis Research Canada.
However, as they’re created with living cells, biologic drugs require a complicated development process involving state-of-the-art technology and very controlled environments. This complex process leads to inherent variability in the resulting product, so manufacturers must complete extensive trials before Health Canada approves a biologic for use — an expensive, time-consuming process.
Naturally, scientific minds wondered: what if these medications could be developed in a timely, less costly way without losing their effectiveness?
Like generic drugs, biosimilars are replicas of an original biologic medication (“the originator”) created after the original manufacturer’s patent expires. Unlike a generic, a biosimilar, while a close copy, is not the exact same. Due to the complex process required to create a biologic medication, a biosimilar will show intrinsic variability to the originator. As a result, biosimilar manufacturers must prove the drugs closely replicate the originator — both at the molecular and cellular levels.
Biosimilars rely on evidence from the many randomized control trials conducted for the originator biologic. While the high manufacturing costs and processes remain the same, the company’s ability to extrapolate data from the original trials allows them to save money during the biosimilar’s research and development phase. Simply put, biosimilars are so similar to their originator, provided they’re seeking approvals for the same disease indications, there’s no need for them to go through the same rigorous trials. In other words, the originator forged the way for the biosimilar to reap the rewards. As a result, the biosimilar can be offered at a nearly 50 per cent price reduction.
The
hasn’t demonstrated any difference in outcomes to those who continued with the originator,” says Dr. Nurula.
Biosimilars aren’t the endgame. They ’re merely a means of ensuring Canadians have ongoing access to innovation and treatment improvements. For example, in rheumatology, clinicians see the benefits of biosimilars first hand. Biosimilar TNF Inhibitors, which are commonly used in the treatment of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, are helping pave the way for new and innovative drugs in the space.
A new era of innovation
“Biologics are expensive and make up a huge proportion of Canada’s healthcare budget,” says Dr. Lacaille, noting that in 2018, biologics were responsible for nearly $8 billion and 23 per cent of total spending.
real advantage to a biologic medication is that they're incredibly effective, more so than traditional medications.
“Biosimilars aren t cheaper as in a lower quality alternative drug; they’re incredibly highly regulated and deliver the same therapeutic benefits to patients,” Dr. Lacaille says.
Saving the system
Biosimilars have been approved in Canada since 2009. In that time, they’ve revolutionized the way clinicians operate, opening doors to advancing medication in a different way.
“Biosimilars have made their way into the offices of gastroenterologists, rheumatologists, and dermatologists,” says Dr. Neeraj Nurula, Associate Professor of Medicine at McMaster University.
By lowering the price and, therefore, the barrier to entry, biosimilars have helped increase the number of patients who are able to experience these advancements. From those facing inflammatory arthritis to cancer, “the body of evidence that has examined outcomes for patients who ve switched from a reference biologic to a biosimilar
Biologics themselves remain an important part of the health-care system. Over time, biologics can lose their effectiveness, and some patients may not respond to the biologics available. “We need the diversity of biologic agents, so we have options for patients who need them,” says Dr. Lacaille.
Relying on biosimilars as replacements for originators helps the health-care system afford the new, innovative biologics that are being discovered every day; drugs that may offer different benefits.
Transitioning to biosimilars paves the way for substantial potential cost savings for the Canadian health-care system — estimated to be anywhere from $332 million to $1.8 billion. The idea is that, with these savings, the system can afford biologics coming to market.
“While there is no medical reason to switch a patient from their current originator biologic to the biosimilar of that product, there are cost savings –equal value for less cost”, says Dr. Janet Pope, rheumatologist at St. Joseph’s Health Centre and a Professor of Medicine at Western University. She adds, “Most if not all biosimilars have similar programs to help patients, so the best way to institute cost savings with biosimilars is to mandate switches if patients are on the originator that has a biosimilar approved.”
Dr. Janet Pope Division Head in Rheumatology, St. Joseph's Health Centre & Professor of Medicine, Western University
Dr. Neeraj Narula Director, IBD Clinic, McMaster University & President, Canadian IBD Research Consortium
Dr. Diane Lacaille Scientific Director of Arthritis Research Canada/Arthrite recherche Canada
Support Your Immune System with Active Aging
Liza Stathokostas, PhD, Research Director, Active Aging Canada
As we age, our immune system declines. Our bodies have fewer immune cells, and they don’t work as well. So if we get sick, the illness may be more severe. Recovery can take longer and we may not respond as well as younger people do to vaccines.
The good news: We can fight that trend with regular physical activity
Every time we’re physically active, we get our blood pumping and circulating through our bodies. In that pumping blood are the immune cells that go out to look for and fight infections.
Being physically active in a regular way can increase the number of these immune cells and improve how they function. That s true, no matter how old we are.
Recent research shows that physically active older adults were less likely to need a hospital stay with COVID-19. In addition, those who were admitted to the hospital had shorter stays.
The research also shows that physically active older adults produce more antibodies (immune cells) than other
seniors do after they get the flu vaccine.
Staying active helps to manage chronic conditions
Chronic illnesses are problems like diabetes and heart disease. Having a chronic condition puts people at risk of getting severely ill with viral infections like the flu and COVID-19.
We know that staying active helps to manage many chronic conditions. The healthier we are, the better we are at fighting viral infections.
What type of physical activity is best for boosting the immune system?
Following current public health physical activity recommendations will provide the right type of activity for supporting the immune system:
Aerobic exercise
Do moderate aerobic exercise. This type of exercise makes you breathe faster and increases your heart rate. That increases blood flow (circulation) through your body. This increase in circulation
allows immune cells to travel farther into places like the lungs and fight infected cells when you get sick.
• Your regular aerobic exercise sessions can be in short amounts of time but should add up to about 2.5 hours a week.
Building muscles
Stronger muscles are important because muscles are a source of many proteins. Like antibodies, proteins play a powerful role in immune function. On top of aerobic exercise, do things that strengthen your muscles. Exercises involving weight or walking strengthen the major muscle groups, such as the arms and legs.
• Do strength-building activities 2–3 times per week.
Being active benefits you at any age
How you exercise your heart, lungs, and muscles is up to you — do things that you enjoy. Start slowly and build up your stamina if you haven t been active lately. The goal is to get to regular physical activity that challenges you in a healthy, safe way.
Staying