Vim & Vigor - Fall 2012 - Parrish Medical Center - (Page 22)

Don’t be robbed of your wellness as you age BY SHELLEY FLANNERY on O lder adults are right to want to protect themselves and their homes from harm. They invest in alarm systems, move to secure communities and buy ﬁerce-sounding dogs (of course, behind the door, Fluffy is all bark and no bite). But what about protecting their bodies from the top health threats? Unfortunately, there’s no alarm system for that. Also unfortunate is that the number of health threats increases with age. “There are a variety of explanations for this,” says Christine Himes, Ph.D., a member and fellow of the Gerontology Society of America. “Partly, the body loses some of the ability to repair itself; your immune system doesn’t function as well when it’s older. And then there is the accumulation of years of environmental factors and lifestyle behaviors. It adds up over time.” But don’t give up and let your guard down just yet. There are ways you can protect yourself. “When thinking about aging, what you do early on has an impact. You want to be healthy when you’re younger,” says Lynda Anderson, Ph.D., director of the Healthy Aging Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “But the big message is, it’s never too late to start, and it’s always too early to quit.” Here’s how you can identify and eliminate the top health threats to seniors. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL COGLIANTRY, GETTY 22 Vim & Vigor · FALL 2 012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Fall 2012 - Parrish Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Fall 2012 - Parrish Medical Center
Contents
Tasty Tips
Opening Thoughts
Community Calendar
Cardiopulmonary Connection
PMC Nurses Honored During National Nurses Week
30 Days to Better Sleep
I Can’t Ask My Doctor That!
He Said, She Said
Hold On to Your Health
STILL A SCREENING STAR
Your Joints: An Owner’s Manual
Weighing Your Options
No Greater Gift
Weather Alert
Virtual Health
Inherent Beauty
Ask and You Shall Receive
Community Health
Foundation Focus
Ask the Expert

Vim & Vigor - Fall 2012 - Parrish Medical Center