CNN Vital Signs discusses how to reach old age with health and disposition

Aging well, with health and disposition, is something possible. That’s what this week’s episode of CNN Vital Signs . Disease prevention and body and mind care throughout life are secrets to reaching old age well.

The rerun of the episode addresses the health problems that most affect the elderly in Brazil: cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cataracts, Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure, depression and osteoporosis.

The program presented by cardiologist Roberto Kalil will air this Saturday (24), at 6 pm.

At the age of 79, singer Gilberto Gil displays vitality and good humor when talking about health and finitude in an interview with longtime friend Roberto Kalil. “We begin to feel that one day everything will end. Medical care came with age. From the age of 60, care became more constant and intense”, says Gil (see interview in the video above ).

The son of a doctor, Gil says that prevention has always been part of his daily life. “Death will come anyway, so it’s important to be prepared for this body’s passing so that its nonexistence is a smooth thing. May you have the best possible health, the best amount of physical and mental well-being, ”he comments.

To show osteoporosis care, the team at CNN visited the outpatient clinic of the Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology of the Hospital das Clínicas de São Paulo (IOTHC), which has a specific center for the treatment of the disease. Patients undergo consultations and undergo physiotherapy sessions to strengthen their bones.

The doctor Pérola Plapler, director of the Division of Physical Medicine at IOTHC, explains that the low consumption of calcium through the ingestion of milk and cheese, the lack of exposure to the sun and the little practice of physical exercises are the factors that influence osteoporosis. , which mainly affects women.

Experts warn that mental health care for the elderly should also be part of the health assessment routine. According to psychogeriatrician Julia Loureiro, from the Institute of Psychiatry at Hospital das Clínicas, depression affects a large number of elderly people. The condition is associated with different loss situations, including material goods, friends, mobility and quality of life.

“In many cases, people are not prepared for these losses and for this slowdown. We observe that there is an emptying of life”, he warns.

The program also shows a group of elderly people who are very active. In Santos, on the coast of São Paulo, there is a surf school where the youngest student is over 50 years old. The “surfeterapia” unites friends who get together to catch waves in the sea once a week. Physical activity and social interaction are essential elements for aging well.