David C. Young, Author

by David C. Young

One of the niche areas on drug development is longevity research. This research tries to develop drugs that will let people live longer. Has this worked?
No: Drugs and other treatments specifically aimed at longevity have overwhelmingly been unsuccessful.
Yes: Average life expectancy is going up. Aging isn’t one thing. It is thousands of things. Average life expectancy has been increasing over the decades because of thousands of treatments for heart disease, cancer, joint issues, many diseases, viral infections, and the list goes on.

A series of articles in National Geographic in 2025 address extending your life span and quality of life. Here are their research-backed recommendations. Most of these benefit most people of all ages.

• A monthly social interaction cuts the chance of developing dementia in half. This could be an adult sports organization, a book club, a regular D&D game, etc. The article gave examples of face-to-face activities, so it is unclear if a video conference book club is as good as a live one.
• Have some level of physical activity, if only walking the dog around the block.
• Build up a level of cardio capacity. They suggest building up to 20 minutes of running, biking, swimming, rowing machine, etc. but regular cardio of shorter duration is also beneficial. It has to be something that elevates your heart rate more than walking does. Seniors need less than young adults, but many people in all age groups don’t get enough.
• Do regular strength training, such as pushups, weight lifting, Bowflex, etc. The amount that is right for you is highly individual. Ideally, you should get to the “muscular failure” point, where you can’t do one more rep, several times a week.
• Have a good daily sleep schedule that works for you.
• Develop good eating habits. Fill up on vegetables, whole grains, meat, fish, and plant proteins (beans, soy, nuts, seeds). Hold down your intake of sweets, fried foods, and highly processed foods (factory made, ready to eat). Much of the battle is won at the grocery store when you are choosing what to buy for snacks, cashews instead of Twinkies, dried fruit instead of candy bars, crackers (baked) instead of chips (fried), etc.

Here are a few more observations I’m adding, but weren’t in the National Geographic article.

• The article didn’t mention weight. Getting your eating habits and exercise healthy will probably change your weight. For many people, nothing more needs to be done. For some people, more aggressive medical solutions are a good choice.
• Drink as much water as you like.
• Countries with the longest life spans tend to focus on more frequent preventative health care. Make that annual physical at the very least. You doctor is the best person to give you advice tailored to you on vitamins, sugar, salt, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, CBD, THC, losing weight, exercise, and more.
• Put serious effort into doing what your doctor recommends. Find ways to motivate yourself. My trick is I only allow myself to listen to books on Audible while I’m doing my cardio.
• Mental health is another dimension of health and longevity. Sometimes little things like a walk at lunch time or spending ten minutes playing a game on your phone can help you de-stress. For some people prescription drugs, divorce, or a gender change can be life savers.
• Learn new things. Do puzzles. Play games. These help you keep your mental capacity sharp and improve memory.
• Wear a hat and/or sunscreen.
• There has been lots of controversy over whether the benefits of one alcoholic drink per day (lower stress & cholesterol) out weigh the risks. The most recent studies are saying, NO. Keep alcohol use to one drink a day if you are a drinker, and don’t start if you aren’t.
• Don’t smoke, ever. A former coworker of mine had to go in an assisted living center at the age of 64 because of her mental decline over a life of heavy chain smoking.
• There have been a number of scientific studies showing the benefits of meditation for most people, but there are a few exceptions. Meditation can improve memory, decrease stress, help you be happier, and more. The exceptions are usually people who have buried extreme traumatic experiences in their mind, and find that becoming more self aware makes them again aware of those memories.
• Staying healthy on a tight budget is even more challenging. Shop sales, look for budget options, do what can be done without spending money. Yard sales and second hand shops are full of barely-used exercise equipment.
• Remember that aging well does not mean being the varsity athlete you were in college. It means finding what is best for your health at your present age.
• Manage other health issues like diabetes.
• Protect yourself from head injuries.
• Find a purpose. After you retire from regular work, that might be a volunteer activity, helping family, teaching something, personal projects, trying to set a world record at tiddlywinks, writing a book, taking up art, or any of a million other things. Having a purpose has been cited as one of the key factors for people who are healthy and active into their 90s.