Preventive measures for geriatric diseases include

The core of preventive measures for geriatric diseases revolves around the three core directions of "adjustment of daily habits, regular risk screening, and dynamic management and control of basic diseases." There is no universal plan that applies to everyone. The core principle is to "adapt to one's own basic situation, adjust in small steps and adhere to it for a long time, and do not blindly follow Internet celebrity regimens."

Speaking of which, I used to think that the prevention of geriatric diseases was a cliché: eat less and move more. It wasn’t until I met 72-year-old Aunt Zhang at a community free clinic last year that I realized that many people had fallen into misunderstandings. Two years ago, she took health classes and bought nearly 20,000 yuan of fish oil and thrombolytic health products. After taking them for more than a year, she became dizzy more frequently. Later, she stopped taking the health products and followed the doctor's advice to eat a small handful of green leafy vegetables every day and eat less pickled products. Her blood pressure was very stable. Don’t underestimate the role of dietary adjustment. Many old people have a heavy mouth all their lives and can’t live without pickles, sauce and tofu every meal. They feel that eating less is tasteless. The 68-year-old Uncle Li I met before was eating pickled radish every time, and his systolic blood pressure was always above 160. Later, I made an agreement with him to only eat a piece of pickled radish the size of a fingernail with half a catty of stir-fried vegetables every day. After half a month, the blood pressure dropped to less than 140, and even the amount of antihypertensive medication was reduced by half. There are also differences in the academic circles on the diet plan for the elderly. One group advocates that the elderly should eat a light diet as vegan as possible, while the other group believes that high-quality protein intake must be ensured to prevent sarcopenia. Judging from the clinical cases I have been exposed to, there is no need to go to extremes. An egg, a cup of warm milk every day, and eating lean pork or fish two or three times a week is much more reliable than boiling vegetables every day, or eating hundreds of yuan of protein powder.

After talking about eating, let’s talk about the exercise problem that everyone is most likely to go to extremes. Or he's like the old man who goes berserk before dawn in the community. He walks 15,000 steps every day. Last month, he wore out his meniscus and couldn't even get downstairs. ； Or I just sit on the sofa and watch short videos every day, sitting still all afternoon, and my muscles are so loose that I wobble when I walk. There are now two mainstream views on exercise for the elderly. One believes that more aerobic exercise is needed to strengthen the heart and lungs, and the other believes that strength training is necessary to prevent falls. In fact, both are correct, and the choice depends on your own physical condition. If your knees are bad, don’t force yourself to take steps. Walk slowly for 40 minutes every day, squat against the wall twice a week, and lift half-filled mineral water bottles to practice arm strength. This is much better than walking around and hurting your knees. When I was following up with a rehabilitation doctor at home, there was a 75-year-old grandma who had fallen once before and was afraid to move. Later, she followed the doctor's instructions and practiced standing postures for 5 minutes every day. After three months, her grip strength increased a lot, and she could carry half a bag of rice upstairs without gasping.

Many people think that there is no need to go to the hospital unless they feel uncomfortable. This is the most dangerous misunderstanding. It’s really not an alarmist. My colleague’s father was diagnosed with early-stage gastric cancer during a routine physical examination last year. After microscopic resection, he is now no different from a normal person. If he waits for stomach pain and black stool before going for a check-up, he will most likely be in the middle and late stages. Nowadays, many people are opposed to "excessive physical examinations", saying that if there is no disease, they will be anxious if they find some minor problems. I agree with this. Just do whatever is expensive. If you don't have a family history of lung cancer, you don't need to do chest CT every year. A low-dose spiral CT is enough every year. If you are over 60 years old, you can also have bone density, carotid artery color ultrasound, gastrointestinal endoscopy, and usually measure blood pressure and blood sugar at home every two weeks, which is much more useful than a full physical examination once a year. Oh, by the way, there is also the controversy over calcium supplementation. Some people say that those over 50 years old must take calcium tablets every day. Some people say that just taking supplements through food can easily lead to stones. In fact, it is very simple. Go to the hospital to check your blood calcium and bone density. If you are deficient, then supplement. If you are not deficient, just drink a glass of milk and bask in the sun for 10 minutes every day. There is no need to take supplements at all.

Finally, there is another point that many people ignore, which is emotion. I met an aunt before. She was angry every day because her son was looking for a partner and her grandson was taking exams. Her blood pressure fluctuated and she couldn't control it even after taking three kinds of antihypertensive drugs. Later, she signed up for a flower and bird painting class at a senior university and went out to sketch with her old sisters every day. Within two months, her blood pressure stabilized and she didn't even need to take sleeping pills. To be honest, worrying less about your children's affairs and quarreling with your wife over trivial matters is more effective than any health regimen.

To put it bluntly, the prevention of geriatric diseases is not about "aging", but about preventing small problems that could have been avoided from turning into serious diseases. There is no need to follow other people's health care experience. Others drink red wine to soften blood vessels. If you have high uric acid, drinking it will cause gout. Others will be fine if you walk 10,000 steps a day. If your knees are not good and walking too much will hurt your joints, what is best for you is the best.