“Longevity has its place.” [MLK, quoted]

This Blog was written in May 2019. It is being re-posted to bring attention to the continued health issues in this country. Since March 2020, Coronavirus- Covid 19  and its variants have upended communities across the country and the world. Hospitals, schools, businesses, and ordinary citizens feel the effects of this virus. Unvaccinated young people and older adults with chronic illnesses seem more susceptible. The numbers are staggering with hospitalizations and death. Many of the diseases attributed to longer-than-usual hospital stays are chronicled here. We can do better. Doctors, scientists, politicians, and even clergy ask for compliance to get the vaccine. Even with a death rate of over 600,000, some people have taken a stand and refuse to vaccinate. This is not the time to die on your opinion mountain based on a principle. Take an active part in your health and the critical markers that will dictate your survival and longevity.

The good news, people are living longer. The bad news, most can’t afford to live longer. Has more medicine and better technology improved the life expectancy for Americans? According to the US National Library of Medicine-National Institutes of Health, ” In this quest, the human race has been partially successful; the life-expectancy has certainly increased but only up to a certain point. “Nobody has yet achieved modest life extension beyond the apparent upper limit of about 120 years”—[Well, that’s a sobering thought].

Here are some stats from the same source:  Life Expectancy at birth

• 1900s life expectancy was 30.9 years

• 1940 life expectancy was 46.7 years

• 1980 life expectancy was 61.13 years

• 2016  life expectancy was 78.6 Years, six months, or  28,689 days.

  That means if you are 39+years old, you are halfway there! Don’t waste another minute.

The most significant increase in lifespan occurred after the 1940s.  The introduction of vaccines, penicillin, streptomycin, and controlling infectious diseases has saved many. Better diagnosing with MRIs, CT scans, and other life-saving devices increased life expectancy.

• The Bible is particular about the life expectancy promise. Psalms 90:10, “¹⁰ The days of our years are threescore years and ten;    (score=20 years).  Since that biblical entry, we are only up by  8.6 years!

What health markers determine longevity?  They are the same ones we have been told about: diet, physical activity, and lifestyle.  These markers are the Cause of our longevity or the Cause of early death. Could this mean that we can beat the odds by diet, walking/exercising, eliminating some social behaviors and habits? Scientists at the Mayo Clinic believe even small changes can increase survival rates.

So with today’s technology and medicine, why is Heart Disease still the #1 one killer in the U.S.? How is it that  Stroke, High Blood Pressure, Cancer, Diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease are among the top ten illnesses attributed to our condition and death?  None of these diseases exist outside of the body. So, I can’t catch these diseases from a dirty toilet seat. Where did they come from?  If this is true, then the condition is with Internal Affairs.  Are we contributing, knowingly or not, to our demise?

Increasing awareness of health and nutrition must begin at an early age? What age is that? How about when the child gets to hold the spoon by themselves? Let’s start with what type of fuel is needed to sustain life. We know that a high-performance automobile [Lamborghini] needs premium petroleum.  Should we also understand the power required for the human body to get our machine’s optimum performance from our device? Where’s your battery, your engine, carburetor, and suspension?   I’m Just Sayin’

When our system breaks down, the signs and symptoms have probably manifested over ten years. Diagnostic testing begins with urine, blood, vital signs, ‘rule out’ procedures and possibly exploratory tests. The diagnoses, treatment, and prognosis follow. The patient is sent home with a handful of Rx’s, instructions (watch your intake of….) and see your PCP as soon as possible. When are Prevention, proper care, and feeding of this organism offered?

Patient: “So, doctor, why do I have High Blood Pressure”?

Doctor:  “Oh, it’s probably genetics.”

Patient:  Okay, so how did I get Type 2 Diabetes”?

Doctor:   “Genetics”

Patient:  “Why is my cholesterol so high”?

Doctor:   “Genetics.”

Patient:   “Some of my co-workers and other family members suffer from the same conditions. Is that genetics too”?

Doctor:    “Yes, probably.”

Patient:    “Am I to believe we are now having a Genetic Epidemic”?

There must be something else. My limited knowledge can not be the only barometer. Researchers must have WHY questions to address the preponderance of the increase in diseases and disorders. While my questions are rhetorical, I am just being observant.

[I am not diagnosing, offering a cure, or medical advice. This is for information purposes only and not to replace a one-on-one appointment with your medical doctor]

ADHA, Autism, obesity, food allergies, and having more than one family member with Diabetes, Hypertension is a problem for me. My observation and conversations with numerous friends, family, and acquaintances have revealed a change in health disparities across age, ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic groups.

Friends and families are having discussions too. They are examining this phenomenon of two or more family members who have diabetes, HBP, high cholesterol, or may have died from complications of this Metabolic syndrome. Stroke among 40 & 50-year-old people seems to be more prevalent.  Younger people are developing

We’re just asking questions and looking for solutions. Information is available now via the internet to educate ourselves about body structure, function, nutrition, and health. Credible resources from doctors, scientists, major universities, and Integrative medical clinics share their research and findings. Is it complicated? Sometimes, yes, but there is enough information to understand the one thing, this Body was designed to sustain us while we go about the assignment given. If we know how it works, maybe we will take better care of it!  Medical terms, body structure and function, and diagrams will be added to the blogs in the future.  We need to be educated beyond a ‘pill for my ill’. Can we get some prevention education? Let’s take the mystery out of healthcare. The word ‘doctor‘ comes from the Latin word for “teacher.” 

What to Do Now?

• Eat a whole-food, plant-based diet. There are no reported deaths due to broccoli, kale, potatoes, fruits, and water overconsumption.
• Find the time to walk 10 minutes after a meal. Make it a point to keep your body in excellent condition. Know your numbers: glucose, cholesterol, BP, BMI.
• Read the Food Labels. Ask for help!

Know some facts:

• People who have Diabetes are 54% more likely to have or die from a Heart Attack.
• People with diabetes are more likely to experience vision loss and nerve damage.
• People who have diabetes are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease (brain malfunction)
• About 25% of people with Type 1 diabetes and 80% of people with Type 2 diabetes have high blood pressure. The risk of stroke or kidney disease is increased.
• Nearly 67% of U.S. adults million have pre-diabetes; most of these people will develop Type 2 diabetes within ten years. Are you Pre-Diabetic? How do You know?

As I was compiling the data for ‘Longevity,’ I was struck by an alarming statistic that has rattled me to the core.  

“U.S. Life Expectancy Drops for the Third Year in a Row, Reflecting Rising Drug Overdoses, Suicides”  Drug overdoses claimed 70,237 lives in 2017, while suicides numbered more than 47,000 over the same period (Wikimedia Commons). The Drop represents the most extended sustained decline in expected lifespan since the tumultuous period of 1915 to 1918—the Spanish Flu. 

Go To the Source(s)

• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/us-life-expectancy-drops-third-year-row-reflecting-rising-drug-overdose-suicide-rates-
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4759485/
• https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/life-expectancy/
• https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/10/…life-expectancy…/16874039/
• https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/1/9/16860994/life-expectancy-us-income-inequality
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4644940/