I.M.120 Helping you to BE YOUR BEST SELF

YOUR AGING IMMUNE SYSTEM

When we think of aging, we may think of wrinkled skin, thinning hair, decreased hearing or vision. These are the more tangible signs of chronologic aging. What about your immune system? Just like the other parts of your body, your immune system is affected by chronologic aging.  As we age, our ability to create antibodies diminishes. The neutrophils that are created do not move as effectively, and do not adhere to their targets as well. This all adds up to a greater vulnerability to infection with everything from the flu, to bladder infections, to pneumonia and other viral illnesses like shingles. Most experts agree that a weakened immune system is one of the reasons for the increase in the risk of cancer as we age. The term medical experts use to describe the process of a fading immune system is "immune senescence."  What can you do to fight back?

THE ROLE OF EXERCISE

Keeping fit and active is one of the most important things you can do to keep your immune system stimulated. Unfortunately, too much exercise can actually damage your immune system in the short run. Intense or prolonged exercise can make you even more vulnerable to illness. This is one of the reasons why basketball star Magic Johnson retired from the NBA after acquiring the HIV virus.
A good rule of thumb is to keep aerobic activity no greater than 30 to 45 minutes of varied intensity. If you do partake of intense exercise, it would be wise to take antioxidants and supplements to restore the damage to your immune system.

THE ROLE OF FOOD

Too much of any food, even healthy organic food, will further weaken your immune system. Excess calories and the subsequent growth in the number and size of fat cells will unleash a torrent of cytokines (pro-inflammatory substances) throughout your body. In addition to choosing organic meats and vegetables, and eliminating high carb and junk food, overall volume must be controlled. A good target for men is in an abdominal  circumference of 40 inches or less. For women the target is 35 inches. Remember, do not measure where your parents go but rather the thickest part of the abdomen!  Body fat should be kept below 35% for women and 25% for men. We will be measuring this periodically as part of your follow up visits.

THE ROLE OF ALCOHOL

Acute exposure to high doses of alcohol will lay waste to your immune system. The definition of "high dose" does vary depending on gender and size. For the average male, a dose of alcohol greater than 4 ounces in one day would be considered problematic, for the average female the equivalent would be 3 ounces. One ounce of alcohol translates into one can of beer, or one glass of wine, or one mixed drink.  And no, you cannot (as suggested by one of my patients) wait five days with no alcohol then take 15 drinks in one day!

While intermittent, large amounts of alcohol can be harmful, the bulk of evidence suggest that daily, modest use may actually be beneficial. Never mind an apple a day, it turns out a merlot a day may do you more good! The studies on longevity correlated 2 ounces of alcohol daily for men, 1 for women with a life extending benefit.

THE ROLE OF SLEEP

Our body uses the time of rest to rebuild and restore all of our systems, including the immune system. It seems we need at least six hours of quality sleep each night to be at our top level of function. Unfortunately, many older people struggle with sleep continuity.  Everything from persistent pain syndromes, to frequent urination, to decreases in sex hormones such as progesterone, can make it harder to sleep restfully. Sleeping pills, even those over the counter, are to avoided. Chronic use can interfere with sleep quality, may contribute to weight gain (depending on the specific drug) and more recently has been correlated with an increase in the rate of dementia.

STRESS!

This is probably the granddaddy of all immune suppressing events.  Witness the frequency of illnesses that occur in the context of significant personal challenges. In addition to being damaging unto itself, stress often will disrupt our exercise and eating routines, and make it harder for us to sleep restfully. This domino affect sets us up for big trouble.  If you are facing stress challenges, make some time to see me so we can discuss how to minimize its impact on you, and help you navigate through your difficulties.

SUPPLEMENTS

This is where it gets confusing really fast.  There are so many supplements  claiming immune boosting benefits that you can choke trying to get them all down.   There are some supplements that have clear benefits. The challenge is knowing when to use them, how much to use, and which combination makes the most sense.  If you are below the age of 40 and in pristine health, the best approach may well be intermittent use at times of medical, psychological or physical stress.    If you are past 40, or for each decade older, the risk/benefit starts to tilt in favor of regular immune support. This is especially true if you have had, or are at increased  risk for cancer.  This is a great topic for us to discuss in the course of your appointments. Immune support should be individualized in order to get the best value and benefit. I encourage you to bring in all of your supplements at the time of your follow-up visits so we can periodically review them and insure that you are on the best regimen possible.  

To your best health,

Dr. Stephen Petteruti