Biological age

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This is not how much we look, but how much the body works, and how it manifests itself physically, mentally, and hormonally.

There are several methods for testing biological age, but, in fact, they all boil down to about the same manipulations: measuring various parameters, analyzes, test exercises that need to be performed for accuracy and time. In Russia, the most common technique developed by the Institute of Gerontology RAMS. Based on many characteristic markers, it calculates the pace, type of aging (it evenly passes or not, harmoniously or unbalanced) and determines the biological age, both general and individual systems. Anyone who wants to know him should be ready for the next test.

Personal data

Date and place of birth, chronic diseases are what will certainly be asked during testing. Particular attention is paid to bad habits: smoking and alcohol addiction, according to anti-aging therapy, age 10-15 years. A separate block of questions relates to the psychological state: insomnia, depression, bouts of fear, anxiety. Be sure to measure pressure and heart rate. Values above 140/90 mm Hg. Art. and 100 bpm. indicate premature aging.

Such surveys and surveys are needed so that the computer, when analyzing and plotting the graph, correctly correlates the results of the analyzes with objective reality.

Physiology

Another large unit of examination is the determination of physiological functions at rest. Just knowing your height and weight is not enough. Doctors prefer bioimpedansometry. It will show how much fat and water are in the body in the cells and outside them, what is the proportion of muscle and bone mass. Lung capacity - one of the main characteristics of how strong and viable the breathing apparatus is. Measure it using spirography. Actually, the vital capacity of the lungs is how much you can exhale as much as possible after the deepest breath. You only need to exhale into the tube of a special device. The data depend on gender, age, height, but normal for men exhale is 3.5-4 liters, for women 2.5-3. For those who are actively involved in sports, this figure reaches 5-6 liters. In principle, the more the better!

The next candidate for evaluation is the cardiovascular system. To determine the biological age, it is important to know what condition our motor is in: how new or worn out over the years. An ECG will detect arrhythmia, ischemia, and some other problems. Another mandatory examination is the measurement of the pulse wave velocity. It helps to evaluate how quickly blood, after contraction of the heart muscle, spreads throughout the body. Slow or, conversely, accelerated blood flow may indicate vascular problems, the onset of atherosclerosis, or other disorders.

Also subject to verification visual and auditory threshold. The task is to press buttons when you stop seeing / hearing what the equipment offers. Data is entered into the computer about how many diopters and decibels you typed (by the way, if the household complains that you turn on the TV too loud, this is often the first indicator that the auditory threshold is increased).

Muscle strength also a significant factor in true age. To measure it, doctors suggest squeezing the dynamometer with your hands (after all, the upper limbs are almost always weaker than the lower ones).

Nerves and reactions

Attentiveness, the ability to focus on the task and quickly switch from one stage to another is an important marker of the youth of the brain. Therefore, tests for biological age certainly include tasks on quick wits, accuracy and response. For example, it is proposed in a short time to choose consecutive numbers from randomly located in the cells (Schulte test)Or fill in the table, given that each digit corresponds to a certain icon (Wexler test) Or check the typing speed on the keyboard (you won’t have to type, you just need to quickly tap the key). A modern person sometimes has to undergo such tests even when applying for a job, so that for most working with their head they do not cause problems.

And here is a check neuromuscular connections and the vestibular apparatus, on the contrary, creates difficulties for many. This is aboutBondarevsky test: how many people can stand on one leg with their eyes closed. But we must keep in mind: the objectivity of the results on the state of the vestibular apparatus and the work of the brain departments in this test can "spoil" the very common banal flatfoot or structural features of the knee and hip joints.

Loads and analyzes

Another block is the assessment of physiological parameters under load. You will be asked to do a certain amount of squats for the specified time and at the same time you will measure blood pressure and pulse before the load, immediately after it, and then after a short rest (Ruthier test) They may offer to take a jump from a place, hold their breath, etc. At the same time, changes in pressure, pulse, and speed of their return to normal will show how physically strong the body is and is able to adapt to external loads - a reliable sign of youth.

Finally, laboratory tests are an essential indicator, which can be used to judge the composition of blood and the work of internal organs. A decrease in hemoglobin, an increase in glucose, cholesterol, and some liver enzymes indicate that aging is already gaining momentum. A decrease in the level of sex hormones, thyroid hormones and some others is an inevitable consequence of age.

In certain cases, they must be corrected with the help of drugs, otherwise old age will come prematurely. A separate, however, quite expensive study will help identify genetic markers of aging, that is, what diseases are written in the genus. Fortunately, nowadays medicine is already able to influence even the work of genes. However, most often this is done by the person himself, changing habits. So the result of this test is not a sentence, but a starting point for working on yourself.

Expert Opinion

Genera SAHAKYAN, Candidate of Medical Sciences, chief physician of the Institute of Anti-Age-Medicine "Generale", researcher of the Federal State Institution Scientific and Research Center of VMiK.

Tests for bio-age can tell how to keep youth. Such tests, in fact, check the body systems and compare them with the average age norms of practically healthy people. Research data are processed in a computer program that provides a detailed analysis for each system and compiles a general bio-age profile in a graph. The technique is not based on external data: how a person looks, whether there are wrinkles or not. Aesthetic medicine works wonders, and you can look great, but ... True, biological age is determined by the state of health, and it directly depends on the work of organs! Thanks to tests, after 1−1.5 hours, we identify weak points in the body where premature aging occurs or may begin. For example, the cognitive functions of the brain are in excellent condition, and the vital capacity of the lungs and muscle strength are reduced. That is, according to these parameters, a person is already aging. Of course, it is wrong to say: here, they say, the brain is 25 years old, and the muscles are 45 years old. But you can tell a person where to expect health problems in the future and, most importantly, how to prevent them. Changing lifestyle and getting rid of bad habits will preserve not only health, but also youth.

The article was published based on the materials of the magazine "Good advice" 8/2013