Anatomy Of Your Health

By Tareq Abedin, MD

Our goal is to be a passionate advocate of the 70 year old you. Most of us are highly organized with monthly plans to make sure our 401k, 529 and career goals are accomplished. Yet, despite having the experience and resources to create the same kind of plan for our own health, most people seldom do this.

Seventy percent of all Americans will have a heart attack or stroke between the ages of 60-79. So, despite success in planning for our financial retirement, our actual retirement takes an unfortunate downward and predictable spiral just as we reach that point in our lives.

For our grandparents, the usual life expectancy was only the late sixties. Now, most people are easily living into their eighties. The concern is that due to heart attacks and strokes, they are not living well. In fact, the usual path is a very painful road for decades, and this is the road that we want to travel less.

The goal should be to create a transformative change in your health. Although it is very important to start with obtaining and analyzing the basics blood pressure, weight, height, waist measurements, and body mass index (BMI), we also need to know the levels of cholesterol, blood sugar, and basic metabolic panels to paint a first impression of your health.

Holistic eating and exercise regimens can help you to start reversing any abnormal trends, and having frequent follow up visits with your doctor can help you measure your success and make sure you are achieving your goals.

People who to want not only be healthy, but very active in their later years may want other measurements. Then they can set goals with their doctor to give them the best chance of having the retirement that they have been working towards for many decades.

One measurement is the VO2 max, or stated more simply, a measure of your ability to exercise. This is a great way to make sure your cardiovascular endurance is where it should be and is improving.

By calculating your resting metabolic rate, you know a little bit more specifically about how many calories you need to burn in a day. And there are other tests of body composition that can be done and tracked to help you stay healthy and active for decades to come.

For the truly motivated, you can work with your doctor to truly transform your health, and create that personalized plan for you. Think of it as a 401k plan for your health.