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When a person reaches the age of 50, he will live a long life at a glance
"Doctor, I've been feeling tired lately, am I getting old and it's time to pay the 'longevity premium'?" 57-year-old Uncle Li said to me half-jokingly.
When I heard this, my heart sank, as if I had thought of something. In my memory, similar "jokes" often became a precursor to illness...
As a geriatrician, I know the importance of paying attention to your own health indicators for middle-aged and elderly people over the age of 50. Many chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, often have no obvious symptoms in the early stage.
Wait until the condition suddenly deteriorates, it's too late. With a few simple indicators, we can gain insight into the health status of the body and provide important clues for the prevention and treatment of diseases.
I asked Uncle Li, "Have you had your blood pressure checked recently?" What about blood sugar and blood lipids?" Uncle Li shook his head, looking a little disapproving. "Doctor, I've always been in good health, and I've never paid much attention to these indicators."
I realized that it was time to give this old man a "health metrics lesson". I patiently explained: "Uncle, do you know that people over 50 years old have several indicators that must be paid attention to. They are like a barometer of your health, and they are related to your future life. "
Uncle Li became interested and asked, "What are the indicators?"
I stretched out my hand and enumerated them all: "First of all, blood pressure." For people over the age of 50, blood pressure should be kept below 140/90mmHg. If it is higher than this value, you should be alert to high blood pressure. Long-term high blood pressure can lead to serious consequences such as heart disease and stroke. "
"The second is blood sugar. Fasting blood glucose should be less than 6.1 mmol/L. If it is higher than 7.0 mmol/L, you are likely to have diabetes. Diabetes mellitus can cause complications in all organs of the body and threaten life expectancy. "
"The third is blood lipids. Total cholesterol should be less than 5.18 mmol/L and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) should be less than 3.37 mmol/L. If it is exceeded, it means hyperlipidemia, which is the 'bane' of heart disease. "
"The last one is weight. The body mass index (BMI) of middle-aged and older adults should be controlled between 18.5 and 23.9. More than 24 is considered overweight, and more than 28 is obese. Obesity can induce a range of chronic diseases and greatly increase the risk of death. "
Uncle Li nodded again and again, as if he realized the seriousness of the problem. He asked me, "Doctor, what should I do if I find that the indicators are not up to standard?"
I smiled and told him, "If you can do three things, you don't have to worry too much."
First of all, we must have a light diet, less oil, less salt and less sugar, and eat more vegetables and fruits; The second is to keep exercising and walk briskly for more than 40 minutes every day; Finally, there is regular physical examination, timely detection of problems, and active intervention.
For many chronic diseases, early detection and early treatment can completely avoid serious consequences and enjoy a normal life in old age. "
Uncle Li woke up like a dream and thanked him repeatedly. "Doctor, you have a point! I must tell my wife and old friends to pay attention to these indicators. We can't afford to play with our lives any longer!"
I patted the old man on the shoulder with relief. In fact, there are many elderly people like Uncle Li who "don't care" about health indicators. Many of them are from rural areas and are accustomed to the idea of "not going to the doctor if there is no major health problem". As everyone knows, the disease is quietly gnawing at their bodies, and by the time the symptoms appear, it is often too late.
I remembered one of my patients, Lao Zhang. Lao Zhang was a small foreman on the construction site when he was young, and he was used to a life of being full and hungry, and he never cared about any nutritional matching.
At the age of 50, he found that he was often dizzy and out of breath, so he came to the hospital for a check-up. It was found that he not only had high blood pressure, but also high blood sugar, and even had developed manifestations of diabetic nephropathy.
I sweated for Lao Zhang at that time. Fortunately, he arrived in time, and after a period of medication and lifestyle intervention, his condition slowly stabilized.
But the doctor's words still stuck in his memory: "Your body is already overdrawn. If you don't change your habits, the next step is likely to be dialysis or even amputation. Do you want to end up like that?"
Since then, Lao Zhang has changed his past wrongs, strictly controlled his diet in strict accordance with the doctor's instructions, insisted on exercise, and had regular follow-up. Now, he has reached the standard in all indicators, and he is full of energy, and he can also take his grandson in the community. Every time he saw me, he gave me a thumbs up and thanked me for my "nagging" that saved his life.
In fact, not only Lao Zhang, but also many patients, through the guidance of doctors and the importance of health indicators, have regained their health and embarked on the road of longevity. This is very comforting for me as a doctor.
I often tell my patients that 50 is a watershed moment for health. At this age, a series of changes will occur in the body, metabolic capacity will decrease, immunity will weaken, and various chronic diseases will also begin to "rampant".
If left unchecked, it is easy to enter the "countdown to life".
The key to combating these health "killers" lies in early prevention, early detection and early intervention. And a few key indicators, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids, weight, etc., are our "clairvoyance", which allows us to take action before the disease "alarms" the body.
I sincerely hope that elderly people like Uncle Li can realize the importance of paying attention to health indicators as soon as possible. With these "talismans", life will definitely be more healthy and happy in old age. After all, there is nothing more gratifying for us doctors than seeing our patients live long and healthy lives.
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(The story in the article is purely fictional, if there is any similarity is purely coincidental, if the body is not well, seek medical help in time)