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| Buying Youth |
Mom Was Right
Fran Hawthorne
11/01/2007
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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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