Our Daily Show Interview! Dr. Green- Associated Physicians Group: The Keys to Longevity
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ALTON - A healthy lifestyle translates directly to a longer life. One local doctor breaks down how to take care of ourselves to maintain health and independence as we age.
Dr. Christopher Green with Associated Physicians Group explained that longevity is a major concern for all of his patients. But while people want to live longer, they also want to stay independent and active. Taking care of yourself now will translate to a better life in the years to come.
“I think longevity is one of the major things, even if we don’t talk about it directly. It’s in the background. It’s in the undercurrent of everything that we’re talking about,” Green said. “I don’t think it's just about living longer. I think it’s about living better, a higher quality of life. Particularly, people want to remain well, but they also want to remain independent.”
Green noted that some of our health comes down to genetics. But most chronic health conditions that lead to disabilities — such as strokes, osteoporosis, and chronic obstructive lung disease — are preventable.
How to Take Care of Your Brain
Green noted that people can take steps to improve and maintain their brain health. Physical exercise goes a long way, especially exercises that emphasize balance, coordination and strength. Avoiding alcohol is another way to invest in your brain health.
Recent studies have shown that people who do not use their brains are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Green encourages people to read rather than watching television, or to test themselves with puzzles and games. Just like you push your body to its limits when you exercise, you must do the same with your brain.
“It’s becoming clearer that exercise has a big impact on brain health. I’m talking about serious exercise, I’m not talking about walking the dog,” he said. “You have to use your brain really right up to the edge of your skillset to keep it healthy, just like your muscles. You’re going to lift the maximum amount that you can lift. You’re going to run as far as you can run. With your brain, you have to do something that’s cognitively stressful.”
How to Take Care of Your Heart
Green pointed out that the cardiovascular system is “elastic.” The more damage or stress it endures, the faster it fails. Strokes and heart attacks are leading causes of death; you can protect yourself by taking care of your cardiovascular system.
In addition to lifestyle changes, like diet and exercise, people can take medications to manage their blood pressure and cholesterol. Green appreciates that Associated Physicians Group offers an Enhanced Wellness Care program, which allows him to spend more time with patients and explain the reasoning behind his recommendations. When a doctor recommends more exercise or a certain medication, Green urges people to comply.
“The people who are the winners are the ones who make lifestyle adjustments and oftentimes take medication to keep their blood pressure in that zone so that they are not damaging irreversibly their cardiovascular system every single day,” he explained. “We’re living really longer than we were designed to. If you think back to the caveman, I think the average length of life was about 30 years. So we’re way, way past what a wild human was expected to live. That’s one of the reasons why, frankly, we’re artificially managing our health to obtain better function and longer lives.”
How to Take Care of Your Bones
Osteoporosis is another concern. As weight-loss drugs gain popularity, Green believes these medications are “phenomenal” but come with risks. He stressed the importance of managing your health with diet and exercise in addition to these drugs, if needed.
“When you use these medications alone and you don’t do anything else, you can lose weight. But you end up being what some people call skinny-fat. We call it sarcopenic osteoporosis,” he said. “You lose muscle mass, your bones get weak, and you’re not healthy when you come out of the chute. You might have gone from a size 14 to a size 8 and you might look better, but you’re not healthier. That’s why these people need to understand how important an appropriate meal plan and exercise plan is.”
Additionally, bones naturally grow weaker as we age, and a fall for an osteoporotic patient is much more damaging. These are “life-altering injuries” that can permanently disable people, Green said. He can prescribe medications to maintain your bone health, but he also encourages people to take care of themselves via diet and exercise.
Caring For Yourself Now, Not Later
Ultimately, Green urges people to do things now to manage their health. He understands that it’s hard to convince a young person of their own mortality, and he recognizes that lifestyle modifications can be difficult for patients of all ages. But if you don’t take care of yourself now, you risk irreversible damage to some of your most important bodily systems.
“If you had done something sooner, it would’ve made a difference,” he added. “You can’t recover a few things that might have been lost if you’ve waited too long.”
To learn more about Dr. Christopher Green or the services offered at Associated Physicians Group, visit their official website at AssociatedPhysicians.com.
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