Medical notes

Published on Tuesday 22 July 2008 20:53

Last week's pictures of Helen Mirren on the beach have shown that not only are we living longer but, when we take care, we are looking better too

DAME Helen Mirren – 63 next Saturday – and her red bikini have confirmed what doctors have been noticing for years: it is becoming increasingly difficult to judge just how old some "middle-aged" people are. We may live in a society plagued by diseases caused by over-eating and inactivity, but for the significant minority who eschew both and look after themselves, the outlook has never been better.

Improved standards of living, better awareness of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and ongoing medical advances mean that the average life expectancy in the UK is currently rising at around five hours a day.

A typical 35-year-old middle-class man and woman can now expect to live to 87 and 90 respectively, two years longer than a decade ago, and that is an average figure. If you take out the smokers, the obese, the sedentary and the heavy drinkers, the rise is even more impressive.

Of course, it's not just how long you live but how you live that's changed and this is where modern medicine has had an impact. Drugs such as cholesterol-lowering statins and aspirin don't just delay fatal heart attacks and strokes, they postpone smaller, disabling ones too. Little wonder that today's older people look younger than their predecessors did when I started in general practice in the 1980s. They are also far more active, mentally and physically. Benefits that extend into the bedroom according to new research from Sweden, which claims that today's pensioners are making love twice as often as previous generations did.

So what is their secret? Here are ten tips:

1 DON'T RETIRE TOO SOON

In the 1970s, sociologists were predicting that the turn of the 21st century would usher in a new era of the leisure-based lifestyle, where we would only work a three-day week and all retire at 50. They couldn't have got it more wrong: 30 years on our noses are even closer to the grindstones and there has been talk of raising the retirement age to 70. But it is of no concern if you enjoy what you do – indeed, it is likely to be good for you.

2 EAT WELL

IF you have to follow one type of diet, make it a Mediterranean one rich in fish, fruit and vegetables, olive oil and pasta. Steer clear of sugary or high-fat foods.

3 DO A LOT OF EXERCISE

Not three times a week in the gym with a personal trainer, but for at least 45 minutes every day. It may seem a lot, but many of the benefits of exercise are so short-lived that you really need to do something daily – even if it is just a brisk walk.

4 LOOK AFTER YOUR COMPLEXION

If you want to look young, protect your face from the sun – sunscreen is the most effective anti-ageing lotion available.

5 WORK YOUR BRAIN

One of the downsides of warding off heart disease, stroke and cancer is that you are more likely to notice age-related intellectual deterioration. But your brain is like a muscle – the more you exercise it, the more it will resist the ravages of time. Keep stretching yourself through social interaction, learning new skills, doing puzzles or working well into your dotage.

6 GET MARRIED – PARTICULARLY IF YOU ARE A MAN

Married couples live longer and healthier lives than people who are single, and the benefits are much more evident in men. A single, clean-living man has a life expectancy that is five years shorter than his married equivalent. For a woman, the difference is just 12 months.

7 DON'T SMOKE, AND DRINK IN MODERATION

Old chestnuts, but important. Even light "social smokers" can expect to die five years younger than their non-smoking peers. And thanks to the damage done to their soft tissues, arteries and lungs, they often look and feel much older in the years leading up to their premature death.

8 CHILL

Don't get worked up about things that don't matter, and sort out things that do matter so they become less stressful.

9 GET A GOOD DOCTOR

You wouldn't put up with a second-rate mechanic or solicitor, so why compromise with your GP? Listen to what he or she has to say about screening for problems such as high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure.

10 CARPE DIEM

You only have one life, so live it. No matter how long you live, it will never be enough.