Fly Well: The living daylights

I don’t want to scare the living daylights out of you, but recent research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences from the University of Chicago examined health and aging. Psychologists, sociologists, and geriatricians followed 3,000 men and women aged 57 to 85. They looked at medical histories and plotted five-year mortality. The research modeled how factors such as psychological well-being, mobility, and health behaviors are linked to overall health. Once people were older, regardless of prior problems, they did OK. That is why age alone is not a factor when considering fitness to fly. Obesity is rampant in our country and has its own health consequences, but was additive to items the scientists identified.

In my efforts to inspire my fellow aviators to do some straightforward things to avoid disease, I have beseeched people to lose weight, eat wisely, exercise, and tell their doctor, “No, please don’t palm me off with platitudes.” But there are other missions you can embark on that lead to a long and serene life.

Pilots are largely a happy bunch, and we tend to congregate at airshows, $100 hamburger retreats, and airport breakfasts. Just as well, for research confirms that unwanted solitude is associated with more illness and shorter lifespans.Pilots are largely a happy bunch, and we tend to congregate at airshows, $100 hamburger retreats, and airport breakfasts. Loneliness is not a characteristic of our community. And just as well, for research confirms that unwanted solitude is associated with more illness and shorter lifespans. This might be because loners are less likely to embark on pursuits that inspire healthy behaviors. Sitting alone at home is inherently unhealthy, suppresses immunity, worsens mental illness, and is as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Absence of stimulating, fun company is bad news, so if you have not been to an AOPA Fly-in, sign up—it’s good for your health. And if there is nobody close in your life, whether from Russia with love or just around the corner, make an effort. You are doing yourself a big favor.

Prior Fly Well articles have addressed sleep apnea, now a focus for aviation medical examiners and the FAA. Even absent that problem, poor sleep habits will shorten your cockpit hours—actually, all your hours. So commit to improving your time asleep. Although screen time before bedtime is not a good idea, consider installing a caffeine consumption app to train you to defer coffee drinks later in the day. Also, wearable electronics can now help evaluate sleep time and quality, and inspire one to do better.

 

Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy: If one does not exercise, weight is gained, muscle wastes, and exercising becomes harder. This vicious cycle has obvious consequences. Focusing just on walking shows that trouble ambulating leads to an earlier date to never walk again. So, use it or lose it.

Osteoporosis, or bone thinning with age, can lead to fractures and even death. And these researchers ascertained that even one fractured bone after age 45 is a marker for an earlier demise, most commonly in Caucasian women. Maybe a broken bone or two is a marker for someone who takes chances and may succumb eventually. Or, maybe fractures occur in people whose bones are a bit more brittle. More reason to get checked out for osteoporosis if your doctor concurs you are at risk.

In The World Is Not Enough, a villain named Renard is incapable of feeling pain because of a bullet lodged in his brain. Such sensory loss might seem appealing, but for self-preservation pain is valuable—if not pleasurable. Anosmia, on the other hand (or nose), is an inability to smell and may be congenital, follow a head injury, nasal infection, meningitis, or as a symptom of various neurological diseases. It also independently affects life expectancy—maybe because one cannot smell a gas leak or food that has passed its sell-by date. Or a cockpit fire.

In writing these columns I always try to find a quantum of solace to end on a happy note for my readers. Bond is like a good pilot: He always completes the mission, defeats the villains, and lives to die another day. Like a serious aviator, he uses intelligence, professional support, and technology. And he runs around a lot. Do likewise.

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