By Jackie Jadrnak Albuquerque Journal Staff
Robert Kahn told an Albuquerque audience last month that George Bernard Shaw gave this bit of advice to the young: "Do not try to live forever. You will not succeed."
But you can age well, according to the author of "Successful Aging" and researcher on the MacArthur Foundation's Study of Aging in America.
A professor emeritus of psychology and public health at the University of Michigan, Kahn, 80, described successful aging as avoiding disease and disability, maintaining high mental function, and engaging with life -- keeping close relationships with others and remaining involved in productive activities.
Kahn said he has maintained pretty healthy habits through his life, but he made two changes when he got involved in gerontology research. He added resistance training -- working with weights -- to his exercise routine and he began taking a daily multivitamin that is particularly high in vitamin E and the antioxidants.
His review of research in aging has led Kahn to try to explode what he calls the six myths of aging.
1. To be old is to be sick.
Acquaintance with chronic disease does creep up with age, Kahn said. Half of older people have arthritis, one-third have high blood pressure or heart disease, one-third have hearing problems, and one-fourth have vision problems, he said.
But what really matters to older people is that they maintain their independence, he said. Only 5 percent of people over age 65 are in nursing homes, he said, and half of the people over age 85 say they can handle all activities of daily living.
2. You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
Two mental functions do decline with age: how quickly information is processed and how easily explicit memory can be accessed (groping for a name or word, for example), Kahn said. How well you function mentally in later life is predicted 50 percent by genetics -- the remainder appears to be positively related to higher education levels, physical fitness and a person's own belief in his ability to handle problems.
Older people can learn new things, but they need to do it at their own pace, with plenty of opportunity to practice, in a setting that is not high-pressure or embarrassing, he said. And techniques used to enhance memory can help older people in that area, he said.
No more than 10 percent of people 65 or older suffer from Alzheimer's disease, Kahn added.
3. The horse is out of the barn.
It's never too late to stop smoking, start exercising or lose weight. "Nature is remarkably forgiving," Kahn said. Five years after quitting smoking, the former smoker has a similar risk of heart disease as a lifetime nonsmoker, he said.
A study of obese men found that losing 10 percent of their weight led to significant improvements in blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood fats, he said.
A study of frail, elderly people in a nursing home showed a 174-percent gain in muscle strength and a 50-percent gain in walking speed within a few weeks of being put on a program of pumping iron, he said.
4. The secret to successful aging is choosing your parents wisely.
"A lot can run in families, but it's not genetic," Kahn said. "Good recipes run in families, but they're not genetic."
Physically, genetics can explain only 30 percent of how well someone does in old age, he said. Genetics predicts 50 percent of successful mental functioning.
We have a lot of influence over other elements, such as environment and lifestyle, Kahn said.
5. The lights might be on, but the voltage is low.
Interest in sex and ability to perform might decrease with age, but individual variation is tremendous, he said. According to surveys, 70 percent of men in their 60s report sexual activity, and 25 percent of men in their late 70s are sexually active. "All this data is pre-Viagra," Kahn added.
The definition of sexuality should be broadened to encompass more than sexual climax, he said. "There's a basic human need for affectionate physical contact," Kahn said. "I think the voltage is never too low for that."
6. The elderly don't pull their own weight.
"This one really infuriates me," Kahn said. This myth is based on assumptions that all unpaid work is unproductive, he said.
Of people 55 and older, 40 percent engage in at least 1,500 hours a year of productive work and another 40 percent put in 500 to 1,500 hours. One-third do work for pay, one-third engage in volunteer work, almost all do work around the home, and many give informal help to family and neighbors.
"Most are ready, willing and able to do more," Kahn added.
