Old Age Ain’t for Sissies: Navigating Health and Longevity | A Message from CEO Dave Ressler

As I settle into and try to get comfortable with being in my sixth decade on earth, I find myself in frequent conversations about health and health issues. Of course, the c-word is ever-present on my mind, particularly as it seems to be prevalent and impacting many of the lives around me, including my own. As pioneering medical researcher Dr. Rick Klausner will explain during our Health Journey Symposium on February 20, we are living longer now, and age is the primary risk factor for cancer. He points out that it is “largely built into life itself and a consequence of living.” And yet, fortunately, science continues to advance treatments for cancer, and it can be defeated.

Aging and our health are about much more than cancer and delaying death. Because we are living longer, there are numerous implications for how we live. We know, for example, that mobility is a strong predictor of longevity, and an important part of our emotional wellbeing. Our musculoskeletal systems weren’t necessarily engineered for a long life and to be as active as our community strives to be. Maintaining our joints, bones and connective tissue is an important part of aging well. The Steadman Clinic and its surgeons, and our rehabilitation therapists, play an important role in keeping us active.

Our emotional wellbeing is also an important consideration as we move through life’s phases and our many challenges with work, relationships, financial matters and our health. Living our best lives as we age is a complicated process that the founders of the Aspen idea, Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke, captured so simply in the concept of mind, body and spirit. In many ways, the current (and slow) evolution of healthcare into a value-based model embraces the fundamental understanding that our health is impacted by determinants that are tied to our lifestyle choices, our environment, our stresses and our emotional response. This is why we and our primary care providers focus on whole-person health.

An elderly woman was quoted in the Life in These United States section of a 1968 Reader’s Digest issue as saying, “Old age sure ain’t for sissies.” This oft repeated sentiment is and has been shared by many. I would add a paraphrased comment made to me from an aging and wealthy donor many years ago, to the effect that, “My health is the only thing my money can’t buy.” I often hear variations of this saying as well, although there is a burgeoning market, with a growing body of science, to support products and services that extend the quality of our lives. There is no fountain of youth, but there are choices we can make as we grow older to increase our chances of living fuller and longer lives.

In this issue, we announce our Healthy Journey Symposium on Healthy Aging, and we introduce Dr. Klausner, his research and his ideas. We also have some healthy heart tips for Heart Health Month from Melissa Chang, ACSM-CEP, CCRP, an exercise physiologist in our Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation program. You will also learn about our next blood drive, which is an essential part of saving and extending the lives of others.

In the words of Spock: May you live long and prosper,

Dave