Aging Gracefully

[Diane]

Wasn't really sure where to put this really really good New Yorker article, then decided to put it here in Consciousness Corner, because Ian sent it:
The Way We Age Now (http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/04/30/070430fa_fact_gawande?printable=true)
Medicine has increased the ranks of the elderly. Can it make old age any easier?
by Atul Gawande
Why we age is the subject of vigorous debate. The classical view is that aging happens because of random wear and tear. A newer view holds that aging is more orderly and genetically driven.

[lloyd]

lovely article .very moving and sad.
we're all headed that way :love:

[luca m]

Inheritance has surprisingly little influence on longevity.

I have a grandfather who is 101. There goes my free ticket!

Great article

[nari]

Good article.
I once spent 6 months with a highly regarded geriatrician in the Aged Care ward, and his philosophy was similar. In short, deal with what is important to the elderly individual. Inflicting medicalism on them is what the health professional wants, and it is not always the receiver's choice.
At least they can be given a choice between options of "treatment" and no treatment, out of respect if nothing else.

Nari

[Diane]

Here is a blog from Deric Bownds' Mindblog (http://dericbownds.net/2007/05/wisdom-and-amygdala.html) called 'Wisdom and the Amygdala'. There's an attached pdf about 13 pages long.

Interesting read; even though not conclusive in any way, and even though the amygdala is not discussed until the last few pages, the gist is that wisdom is enhanced by age but not necessarily a function of age. So that quote Chris (I think) has about the removal of inessential materials from the ultimate sculpture or project or vision of reality seems quite appropriate. :thumbs_up

[Jon Newman]

Interesting new book out and blog entry (http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/degrey07/degrey07_index.html) from Edge.org

[Jon Newman]

From Deric Bownds' Mind Blog--free access (http://mindblog.dericbownds.net/2007/10/new-research-on-ageing.html) to articles on aging appearing in Nature

[Jon Newman]

Authors Bryant LL (http://gateway.tx.ovid.com/gw1/ovidweb.cgi?S=LOPPFPDJPPDDNMMBNCILFFJJDPPPAA00&Search+Link=%22Bryant+LL%22.au.). Grigsby J (http://gateway.tx.ovid.com/gw1/ovidweb.cgi?S=LOPPFPDJPPDDNMMBNCILFFJJDPPPAA00&Search+Link=%22Grigsby+J%22.au.). Swenson C (http://gateway.tx.ovid.com/gw1/ovidweb.cgi?S=LOPPFPDJPPDDNMMBNCILFFJJDPPPAA00&Search+Link=%22Swenson+C%22.au.). Scarbro S (http://gateway.tx.ovid.com/gw1/ovidweb.cgi?S=LOPPFPDJPPDDNMMBNCILFFJJDPPPAA00&Search+Link=%22Scarbro+S%22.au.). Baxter J (http://gateway.tx.ovid.com/gw1/ovidweb.cgi?S=LOPPFPDJPPDDNMMBNCILFFJJDPPPAA00&Search+Link=%22Baxter+J%22.au.).

Authors Full Name Bryant, Lucinda L. Grigsby, Jim. Swenson, Carolyn. Scarbro, Sharon. Baxter, Judith.

Institution Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, University of Colorado at Denver and HSC, 4200 East Ninth Ave., Box C245, Office Annex 2C17, Denver, CO 80262, USA. lucinda.bryant@uchsc.edu

Title Chronic pain increases the risk of decreasing physical performance in older adults: the San Luis Valley Health and Aging Study.

Source Journals of Gerontology Series A-Biological Sciences & Medical Sciences. 62(9):989-96, 2007 Sep.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pain often accompanies chronic disease in older adults and may exacerbate physical limitations, which the Disablement Model suggests may increase disability and decrease independence. This study tests the hypothesis that chronic pain and change in levels of pain over time have associations with worsening physical performance independent of disease conditions. METHODS: We studied the effects of initial and changing levels of pain on observed physical performance over approximately 22 months in 925 community-dwelling Hispanic and non-Hispanic white participants in the San Luis Valley Health and Aging Study. Logistic regression models controlled for demographic variables, baseline performance, and comorbidities. RESULTS: We found that chronic pain has an independent association with worsening physical performance, regardless of ethnicity. The intensity of the pain appears to have no independent effect. Although the presence of multiple comorbidities (or vascular disease or diabetes singly) also increases the risk of a worsened physical performance outcome, an independent effect of chronic pain remains after adjusting for these disease conditions. Furthermore, ongoing chronic pain increases the risk of worsening performance; obversely, recovery from chronic pain has a significant and substantial protective effect. CONCLUSIONS: Pain in and of itself appears to increase physical impairment. These results strongly suggest that controlling chronic pain may interrupt the negative disease-impairment-disability trajectory by significantly reducing impaired physical performance, no matter the disease conditions that may underlie the pain.

Publication Type Journal Article. Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural.

[Jon Newman]

I want to make therapists aware of this award (http://www.purposeprize.org/campaigns/npr.cfm?utm_source=npr&utm_medium=box_ad&utm_content=gjohnson&utm_campaign=pp_nom_jan08). Perhaps there will be someone you're working with that you'd like to nominate.