Fran Hawthorne
11/01/2007
Even the most cutting-edge anti-aging specialists generally combine their treatments with the old standbys like a healthy diet, exercise, fish oil, vitamins, regular medical checkups and prescription drugs for conditions like high cholesterol. Similarly, doctor Harrison Bloom of the International Longevity Center says that people who live to be 100 generally exhibit certain key attributes: They are female, they have not smoked cigarettes in years (if ever), they are not obese, they drink moderately, they have a strong social network, they are intellectually stimulated and they have a good sense of humor. "It’s kind of what your mom taught you," he says.
Now these old nostrums have become scientific. Chicago-based internist Michael F. Roizen came up with the concept of RealAge, publicized in two best-selling books and used at clinics like the Center for Partnership Medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
After an all-day series of exams and consultations, patients are told their "Real Age"—that is, the biological age to which their body supposedly corresponds, regardless of what the calendar says. It’s a mathematical calculation based on lifestyle, diet, genetics and medical condition. No surprise that smoking and high blood pressure are the most important factors. But flossing? "When debris builds in your mouth [from not flossing], it breeds bacteria, and that breeds a whole host of potential infections," explains Elizabeth Crane, executive director of the Center for Partnership Medicine. Result: Flossing lowers Real Age by 3.7 years.
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