Preventing ‘troubles’ of life which begins at 40

Relaxation prevents quick ageing One of the popular sayings is that life begins at 40, but many people would also say that for good health and longevity to be achieved, high premium must be given to our health before and after age 40. Seye Adeniyi, in this report, chronicles what needs to be done in order to achieve long life and how to guard against certain problems that may shorten our life.

MANY of us can give sensible and convincing explanations to the enormous changes occuring at puberty, which is between childhood and adolescence, which are often due to the increased activity of the endocrine glands, but many of us may not be able to give correct answers to what makes a person grow old.

In fact, growing old (i.e ageing) is one of the great questions in the minds of many for a long period and up till today, only few can give convincing answers to it. We must therefore find ways to adjust our minds and face reality of life even as nature seeks to adjust our bodies to the changes of time.

According to the submissions of medical experts like Dr. Babatunde Salako, a consultant nephrologist at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State, the common slogan that life begins at 40 is true, but people should not also forget that there are some troubles of life which also begin at age 40 and if care is not taken to guard against them once we clock the age of 40, we may directly or indirectly, consciously or unconsciously, be inviting some serious conditions into our lives either through what we eat and drink, or through the ways we live our lives.

Speaking as a guest lecturer during a recent in-house training programme organised for the staff of the African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc - publishers of Tribune titles inside the auditorium of Jogor Centre, Ibadan, Oyo State on how people can live healthy and prevent certain chronic diseases, like kidney disease, the medical doctor explained that people should learn to live sensibly, take sufficient rest and do physical exercises. People should also watch and be careful of what they put in their mouths as well as avoid those things that break down the body’s resistance to diseases.

Although, there is nothing new or special about desiring to stay young and healthy even till old age, but how many people are ready to comply and observe those principles of life that will keep diseases at distance even at a very old age?

Today, many people are looking for some special drugs or magic pills, tonic or even series of injections and operations that might help them to prolong their lives or years. Therefore, they run from one hospital or doctor to another, hoping to find something that will keep them young and vigorous a few more years. But many often forget to realise that living healthy and for long years is not a sudden event or a mere wishful thinking. You’ve got to start cultivating habits that will promote good health and long life right from tender age.

On what to do to live healthily and attain long life, Dr. Salako said at age 40, men and women are more likely to develop diseases like hypertension and one of the major reasons is that many of us tend to focus our attentions more on issues of life at the detriment of our health, we go all about looking for money, traveling here and there without adequate rest all in the name of trying to meet the demands of each day, whereas all these running up and down tend to build stress and tension in our lives and at the long run make us prone to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and other conditions, all of which can however be successfully treated provided they are discovered early enough.

At age 40, the doctor advised that we should limit our salt intake as low salt diets have been shown to reduce the risk of developing hypertension “too much of salt attracts water and wherever the salt is present in our body, such parts of body increases in volume and this increase in volume can then stimulates high blood pressure and other illnesses” he warned.

Also, once a person reaches the age 40, it is advisable for that person to keep or maintain his/her weight at appropriate level. Obesity or unnecessary gaining of body weight increases the risk of hypertension and kidney problems and we should know that any one who is overweight runs the risk of developing other diseases like osteoarthritis, diabetes, sleep disorder/problem apart from hypertension.

In fact, gaining of weight after reaching age 40 which could lead to obesity on its own is a multiple risk factors for developing cardiovascular diseases, arthritis and diabetes. Furthermore, at age 40, one should reduce the level of alcohol intake because alcohol increases the risk of developing all the diseases mentioned above. This statement it should be noted does not give licence for people under the age of 40 to be drinking alcohol anyhow as this also predisposes them to kidney, liver problems, as well as cardiovascular diseases.

Cholesterol also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, so it is advisable to run away from cholesterol - rich food or diets. Job or marital stress, the doctor also warned, has been shown to increase the risk of developing hypertension, therefore, people should also avoid stress or tension. It is also important for people to look after their health very well by regularly going for medical check-up to know their blood pressure as well as ascertain the true condition of their health through other medical tests.

Commonly used analgesics like aspirin, paracetamol, Ibuprofen, etc , Dr Salako further advised, could also cause kidney damage, therefore, people should exercise caution in using such drugs. He also said people should form the habit of regularly checking their urine, though not necessary on daily basis, but at least once or twice a week in order to rule out any underlying or hidden health problems.

Other important things to do once an individual clocks age 40 is to reduce sugar intake, do exercise regularly especially by walking often, eating more of fishes, fruits and vegetables, avoid junk or refined foods, limit/reduce alcohol intake, stop smoking tobacco or cigarette, be always optimistic no matter how difficult hard or tight the situation may be. Successful living and long life after age 40 he further stressed, depend on choosing suitable diets, keeping vigorous and maintaining a wholesome attitude towards life in general.

“Life indeed begins at 40, but also there are some problems which often begins. However, our understanding of them and how to successfully keep such problems at distance goes a long way in determining our health and longetivity,” he counselled.

For Dr. Adewole Adebiyi, a cardiologist at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan while delivering a lecture tittled: Increasing Rate of Lifestyle Diseases in Nigeria: The Way Out” said troubles of life can be avoided if people learn to do certain things especially as they are becoming old in order to avoid health problems especially as one is getting over 40.

Some of the things he advised that should be done in order to avoid lifestyle diseases include; eating more of diets rich in fruits and vegetables, consumption of fish especially oily fish at least two times a week instead of red meat, minimising the intake of food and drinks with added sugar, as well as choosing and preparing our foods with little or no salt.

Other recommended therapies to beat the troubles/problems of life, especially as one clocks age 40 include; reducing consumption of fat to less than 70 per cent of energy, reducing the intake of animal fats by decreasing consumption of meat and other dairy products as well as cutting back on the consumption of commercially baked foods. The cardiologist however advocated fish consumption and giving time for exercise at least 30 minutes to moderate-intensity exercise at most and preferably all days of the week.