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Ask HN: Longevity for your parents, what to do?

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Re: Ask HN: Longevity for your parents, what to do?

#21
Alternative.

My parents weren’t cheap. But they were responsible with their money both had pensions and retired when they were 55 and 57 respectively.

They have gone on two cross country 4-6 month road trips. They are now 78 and 80 and are still mostly healthy. They only stopped traveling because of Covid. They are slowly getting out of their bubble.

They both said that they have had a long enjoyable life and will have lived a life without regrets.

While I won’t be retiring at 55, my wife and I are planning a 2-3* year adventure where we will be traveling across the US in a method that’s comfortable for us - flying everywhere and staying in mid tier extended hotels.

We are starting this near the end of the year. We just sold our newer car to save money and we are selling our old car before we leave. We are renting out our house.

Am I worried about a long life? No. I’m more concerned with an enjoyable life with no regrets.

Yes, I see my doctor(s) regularly. We chose hotels partially because they all have gyms and most will have pools for working out

Do I eat overly healthy? Mostly no. I enjoy food. But we mostly keep our weight under control.

Re: Ask HN: Longevity for your parents, what to do?

#22
There's still an open question as to whether NMN accelerates the growth of pre-existing tumours. I would be weary of recommending it to older family members unless they have a really good handle on their health and are getting regular checkups.

Re: Ask HN: Longevity for your parents, what to do?

#23
post #19

I think David Sinclair's track record of actually producing meaningful improvements in human longevity is zero. The whole sirtuin thing got big funding from pharma and then totally failed. I would remain very sceptical of what he says, as he definitely talks up his own work as high as it can go and beyond. Personally, I doubt these supplements make any difference. I also doubt that metformin makes a big difference (a…

Not sure about the evidence, can't judge on that. But he looks really good for his age. Of course depends if it is due of his lifestyle or not.

Re: Ask HN: Longevity for your parents, what to do?

#24
How much they buy into the idea - or not - is going to impact effectiveness.

https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/reframing-your-reality-part-...

p.s. Moi? There's also the issue of quantity v quality. In short, keep them away from the TV, social media, etc. Aging has an emotional / psychological impact. Given the current state of high profile happenings (e.g., pandemic, war, mass shootings, climate change) it's easy to get worn down and the willingness to persist goes with it.

Re: Ask HN: Longevity for your parents, what to do?

#27
Omega3s are big. Try the algae based ones, since the fish are a few steps removed from that. And you don't want more than 4x omega6s vs omega3s. Most people in US need to boost omega3s and reduce omega6s.

Can your parents get up off the floor with ease? Do they shuffle their feet? Age appropriate exercise will help them not break bones / fall, etc. Bob and Brad on youtube have some things to look at.

Do your parents have inflammation? That is, do they have joint pain? Are their faces or hands puffy? Try a gluten free diet if reducing foods with omega6s does not help. A gluten free diet can only be achieved by avoiding all foods that are not certified gluten free. Even foods that should not have gluten such as oats likely have gluten cross contamination.

For any diet change, try to limit the change and pursue it for a minimum of 2 weeks to see the impact.

In short, aging gracefully is more about keeping an eye on deficits and managing them before they become big problems.

Re: Ask HN: Longevity for your parents, what to do?

#28
I think you'd be best off looking at family history - what caused early deaths among older generations? My shortest-lived grandparent lived well into their 80s, so my main concern is them having enough money to maintain a decent standard of living in their dotage.

Re: Ask HN: Longevity for your parents, what to do?

#29
My mother (59 years old, so not so old yet) frequents the gym (at least 2 times a week). Typically for some active stretching, body-pump and body-combat group exercises. Diet helps too.

She has a moderate heart\vessels condition so she intakes some pills prescribed.

D3 is the only addition to this I thing.

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