A longevity test was part of a class called Prevention 101 that I attended the other day at Choice Fitness Center.
It showed how you can figure your lifetime expectancy partly by the ages of your grandparents when they died.
The class was led by Dr. Casey Ryan, who said typically more people live longer than their parents. But then you have to subtract some years of life expectancy if you drink and drive. You can add some years if you exercise. And you go down a few notches if your blood pressure is high.
"Everyone should have their blood pressure checked on a yearly basis," Dr. Ryan said.
He thinks people under 30 should probably have a physical checkup every five years. Those under 40 should have a check every three years, and after 50 there should probably be a checkup every two years.
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"Most people do well during their college years. Later on, they get jobs, and they get overweight. Their blood pressure goes up and they develop prediabetes," Ryan said.
"We like to get that group into the right diets and exercise.
"Smoking is the worst single thing you can do," he said. "If you quit, the bad effects of smoking are pretty much cleared after five years.''
Talk turned to fat. We all know that is bad. And for some, the doctor said losing weight can be accomplished by going on a gluten-free diet.
At any rate, I knew it before I went there-but we all need to be reminded good health depends on moderation.
You don't need to run a marathon every day. You do want to get enough exercise every day to stimulate your heart rate. That may be just going for a walk.
In Prevention 101, you learn that you should get shots for shingles and flu. You are reminded that excess weight knocks away at joints and hips.
"Everyone in North Dakota needs Vitamin D," the doctor said. He recommends soaking up 20 minutes worth of sun to get Vitamin D in summertime.
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Dr. Ryan spent three years as a resident in endocrinology at Mayo Clinic after graduating in 1975 from medical school at the University of Colorado. He continued his training with a focus on endocrinology for nine months in New Zealand.
He served as president of Altru in Grand Forks for from 1997 to 2014. He now devotes full time to his practice at Altru Clinic and Hospital .
One of his passions is prevention.
And he promises there will be a class on Prevention 202 in the fall.
