Adopting behaviors that are beneficial to your body can make
a difference in midlife. Why it's not just about physical activity, and what
changes occur in the body at this stage of life, according to experts.
Throughout life, healthy habits play a crucial role in
well-being, but once you reach age 40, they take on a different significance,
in some cases.
“There are many factors that influence healthy aging. Some
we can't control, like genetics. But others, like exercising, following a
healthy diet, seeing a doctor regularly, and taking care of our mental health,
are things we can change,” the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has
stated in this regard.
“Starting in your 30s and 40s, you may find it more
difficult to lose weight and exercise. The exercise you do may not have the
same effect as before. This isn't necessarily a sign that something is wrong.
This midlife weight gain is a natural consequence of aging. Fortunately, you
can take steps to maintain a healthy weight as you age. Your diet can play a
key role. Having a slower metabolism means you'll need fewer calories. However,
you also need to make sure you're still getting all the nutrients your body
needs,” the NIH reported.
As you can see, it's never too late to incorporate
beneficial practices for your body, as they can make a difference in
maintaining an active and long life. Here, based on expert advice and a
scientific study, we review key tips for maintaining cardiovascular health and
optimizing vitality.
Jorge Franchella, a sports medicine physician and
cardiologist, and director of the physical activity and sports program at the
José de San MartÃn Clinical Hospital of the University of Buenos Aires, said,
“From birth, a whole process of evolution occurs, but our first 15 or 20 years
are medically focused on upbringing, maturation, and growth. During this
period, risk factors affecting the cardiovascular system are not considered; on
the contrary, the goal is to promote healthy nutrition and growth until the age
of 40 or even beyond.”
The Importance of Diet and Physical Activity
The specialist emphasized that there are three main
variables that directly influence cardiovascular health: nutrition, physical
activity, and bone calcification. “Diet, of course, can affect cardiovascular
health, as certain types of foods, such as carbohydrates and fats, promote the
accumulation of atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries, which can obstruct
circulation and cause problems depending on the area and organ affected,” he
indicated.
He also emphasized the importance of physical activity:
"During these years, physical activity not only teaches a person and gives
them skills, but also develops favorable cardiovascular adaptations."
Franchella offered practical advice for maintaining a
healthy lifestyle from the age of 40 onward. "It's essential to have a
long-term plan that involves healthy activities such as walking, running,
swimming, or dancing," he concluded. He also recommended eating a balanced
diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
As people go through the maturation process, Franchella
explained that “the adaptations brought about by adequate physical activity up
to the age of 15 are primarily recreational and playful. From then on, activity
begins to become more specific and competitive.”
According to the doctor, it is essential to identify an
individual's characteristics to classify them into three groups: the sedentary,
the active and healthy, and those who exert excessive physical demands. This
last group, influenced by the pressure of high performance, can face risks if
not managed properly. “Although the cardiovascular system is not usually the
first to show signs at age 40, problems can arise in other areas, such as the
skeletal system,” he emphasized.
Regarding physical development throughout life, the doctor
noted that “at that age, between 30 and 40, something very important happens:
the organs called mitochondria mature, small organelles present in cells that
allow us to maximize the use of oxygen for physical activity and any type of
sport.”
The cardiologist also spoke about stress and its impact on
cardiovascular health. “Good stress, the kind we need to stay alert, is
helpful, but distress, chronic stress, is what causes illness due to increased
cortisol levels,” he explained. In this regard, he recommended incorporating
healthy habits that include low-impact, recreational activities, such as
walking, swimming, or cycling. “These activities are aerobic, of moderate
intensity, and people can gradually increase their intensity, allowing them to
feel better and releasing substances that contribute to well-being,” he stated.
Alejandro Amarilla, a specialist in cardiology and sports
medicine, spoke about the changes the cardiovascular system undergoes after age
40. “Starting at age 40, the cardiovascular system begins to show signs of
aging: arteries lose elasticity, blood pressure tends to rise, and the heart
can decrease its efficiency. This period often coincides with an accumulation
of sedentary lifestyle, chronic stress, and unhealthy habits. All of this
significantly increases the risk of hypertension, coronary artery disease, and
major cardiovascular events such as heart attacks or strokes. Furthermore, the
impact is not limited to the heart: it affects metabolism, energy, physical
performance, and overall quality of life,” Amarilla explained.
The specialist assured that it's never too late to start
taking care of your health and reviewed some of the most relevant habits:
"Among the most beneficial habits are: a diet based on real foods, rich in
fiber and nutrients, avoiding ultra-processed foods, sugars, and refined
flours, which are highly inflammatory. Regular physical activity is key: it is
recommended to achieve between 150 and 300 minutes of aerobic exercise per week
and add at least two sessions of strength training per week. The latter is
essential to prevent sarcopenia, especially during this stage of hormonal
decline. In addition, adequate rest, stress management, and quitting smoking
are pillars of prevention. The important thing is to start with small but
sustainable changes, with professional support and clear goals."
Amarilla also highlighted some practical recommendations for
incorporating these habits. “First: don't wait for the 'ideal moment,' you have
to start now, with what you can. Second: moving every day, even if it's just a little,
already has an impact. Third: adding healthy foods and avoiding inflammatory
foods is more effective than focusing only on restrictions. And fourth:
understand that the most important change is mental. In the short term, you can
notice more energy, better quality of sleep, and less anxiety. In the long
term, the risk of heart attack, stroke, and type 2 diabetes is significantly
reduced, and functionality, autonomy, and life expectancy are improved. The
body, even after 40, responds very well when we take care of it,” the
specialist reviewed.
For his part, general practitioner and gerontologist Luis
Cámera discussed the effects of aging on the cardiovascular system. “As we age,
slow but sustained changes occur in almost the entire cardiovascular system,
from its blood vessels to cardiac structures, both the heart and its valves and
its electrical impulse transmission system.”
These changes, the expert explained, include
"arteriosclerosis and its complications, heart enlargement and
dysfunction, and valvular disease and dysfunction, such as arrhythmias or
blockages." The onset of these problems will depend on genetic factors and
risk factors such as "high blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, smoking,
physical inactivity, overweight, stress, to which we must add sleep disorders,
environmental pollution, microplastics, and poor social and health
standards," said Cámera.
Despite these risks, the doctor emphasized that "there
is always time for preventive measures, even in very elderly people, whose
impact will of course be less severe." In this regard, he stressed the
importance of adopting healthy habits, such as "a good protective diet,
exercise, not smoking, and sleep hygiene," which are the individual's
responsibility. However, he noted that other factors require "medical
intervention, with medications and at government levels, such as combating
pollution and microplastics, and improving social and health outcomes."
Finally, he maintained that if a person adopts healthy
habits, he would "congratulate them" and suggest they become a
"health agent" so their loved ones can imitate them. "I think it
will prolong their life, at least 15 years for women and 12 for men, which will
give them time to pursue a second life plan," Cámera stated.
Stress Management and Sleep Quality
Pablo Lamelas, an interventional cardiologist at the
Favaloro Foundation, was another of the professionals consulted by Infobae. He
proposed a series of recommendations for preventing cardiovascular disease.
Although he highlighted traditional advice, such as maintaining a healthy
weight, avoiding excess weight, not smoking, engaging in regular physical
activity, and following a balanced diet, Lamelas highlighted two frequently
ignored aspects that influence cardiovascular health.
“In relation to practical advice beyond what is
traditionally recommended, I would also like to focus on two aspects that are
often ignored. One is stress management. While it is impossible to avoid stress
in our lives, since we all have to work and deal with things that generate
certain levels of stress, what we can change is how it impacts our health.
Reducing stress or improving how it impacts our body has been shown to reduce
cardiovascular risk, which is an aspect that is often not mentioned,” Lamelas
explained.
The cardiologist also addressed another crucial factor for
cardiovascular health: sleep quality. “Starting at age 40, sleep disorders are
highly prevalent, especially in certain occupations or lifestyles. Therefore,
early detection of sleep disorders, which not only involves duration but also
quality, is crucial. Sleep restriction or poor quality is also associated with
an increased cardiovascular risk and can be controlled through proper sleep
management,” he stated.
Lamelas emphasized that it is never too late to make
significant lifestyle changes. “The most important thing to keep in mind is
that it is never too late to make significant changes. In this case,
cardiovascular risk can be substantially reduced starting at age 40, even if no
action has been taken before that age,” he noted. However, he cautioned that as
people age, the frequency of medical checkups should increase.
“While health recommendations are the same before and after
40, one thing that tends to change is the frequency or timing of medical
checkups. Before 40, people tend to enjoy impeccable health, and medical
checkups aren't as necessary. However, after 40, blood pressure begins to rise,
cholesterol levels tend to become more pronounced, and other health problems
arise,” he added.
“One of the most important aspects that becomes relevant
after age 40 is the risk of developing high blood pressure. As we age, the
body's arteries become stiffer, especially the aorta, but also the rest of the
arterial system, which leads to a gradual increase in blood pressure. If this
increase is high enough, the patient may be considered hypertensive,” he
explained.
Finally, the cardiologist noted that, after age 40, the risk
of developing coronary or atherosclerotic diseases increases. “Another important
factor that arises after age 40 is the obvious development of coronary or
atherosclerotic disease. The accumulation of lipids or fat in the arteries,
combined with calcium or calcifications, can increase the risk of heart attack
or the need for bypass surgery or stent placement,” Lamelas explained. This
risk is more common in people with a family history of coronary artery disease
or those who failed to control their risk factors before age 40, such as
smoking, lack of exercise, being overweight, or a poor diet.
Healthy Habits at 50: Data from a Scientific Study
Some risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as
smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and being underweight
or obese, are well known for their ability to increase the likelihood of
suffering from heart problems throughout life. A new study highlights how
adopting a healthy lifestyle at age 50 can counteract these risks and increase
both life expectancy and the number of healthy years lived.
The findings of this research, recently presented at the
Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology and published in the
New England Journal of Medicine, were prepared by the Global Cardiovascular
Risk Consortium, a group of medical experts from various institutions,
including Baylor College of Medicine. According to Dr. Christie M. Ballantyne,
professor of medicine and chief of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Research at
Baylor, these findings underscore the profound impact that risk factors have
not only on life expectancy, but also on the length of a healthy life.
This analysis, which included data from more than 2 million
people in 39 countries, represents one of the most comprehensive studies to
date on how risk factors affect longevity. Participants included the
Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, a large, ongoing
epidemiological study examining the causes and evolution of atherosclerosis and
cardiovascular disease in communities across the United States.
As senior author Christina Magnussen, from the University Center
for Cardiology and Vascular Sciences in Hamburg, noted, “The five classic risk
factors are responsible for about half of all cardiovascular disease worldwide.
We wanted to understand how the absence or control of these factors affects
life expectancy.”
The study's results are compelling. It was observed that
women who do not present these risk factors at age 50 develop cardiovascular
disease approximately 13.3 years later than those who do, and die 14.5 years
later. For men, the difference is also significant: those without risk factors
live 10.6 years longer without cardiovascular disease and die 11.8 years later
than those with these risks.
But what happens if someone doesn't begin leading a healthy
lifestyle at age 50? The study also shows that behavioral changes during
adulthood can be just as beneficial. Controlling blood pressure is one of the
most important factors. Those who manage to control their hypertension or quit
smoking between the ages of 55 and 60 experience a longer life free of cardiovascular
disease compared to those who don't take these preventive measures.
“The absence of five classic risk factors at age 50 was
associated with a life expectancy more than a decade longer than the presence
of all five risk factors, in both sexes. Individuals who modified their
hypertension and smoking habits in midlife had the greatest number of
additional years of life free of cardiovascular disease and death from any
cause, respectively,” the authors wrote in the study.
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