Advances in the field of pharmacology have increased life expectancy in recent years, but have not succeeded in ridding us of diseases, which now appear much earlier in life and in many more people than in the past. Is this inevitable? No answer the experts, who shared with his audience 9th Delphi Economic Forum (April 10-13), scientifically proven tips for a long and good life. By going back to Hippocrates, we will defeat the metabolic syndrome
George Chrousos, Professor of Pediatrics & Endocrinology, School of Medicine, National &
KAPODISTRIAN University
"In the last 70 years life expectancy has increased, mainly thanks to the good medicines we have. However, psychosocial stress is ubiquitous starting from the fetal age, while overweight and obesity also start early in life," said Giorgos Chrousos, Professor of Pediatrics & Endocrinology, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University. A third of obese and overweight people at the age of 50 have full metabolic syndrome and another third have partial metabolic syndrome, while the chronic activation of the stress system is combined with an increase in cortisol and inflammatory cytokines, Mr. Chrousos pointed out. What does this mean; Psychosomatic, depression, addictions, antisocial behavior, decreased libido, fatigue, pain, weight gain, inflammation, immune dysfunction, infertility, cardiovascular disease, dementia, osteopenia, premature aging, predisposition to infections and cancer development, among others.
What can we do to live longer and well? Referring to Hippocrates, Mr. Chroussos mentioned: diet, exercise, sleep, normal frequency of sleep and meals, stress management. "By implementing these simple things early on, you have a resilient start to life."
Kalliopi Kalaitzis, MD Founder & Chief Medical Officer, The longevity & wellbeing clinic, Greece
The main factor that affects our health is our lifestyle "We have managed to increase life expectancy. But what about the years we live without illness or disability? It seems that we did not succeed in this," she said Kalliopi Kalaitzi, MD Founder & chief medical officer, The longevity & wellbeing clinic, Greece, pointing out that of the 56 million deaths recorded by the WHO in 2015, 40 were due to preventable diseases. Why is this happening; "It seems that health systems are more disease systems and less health systems, despite what defines it chance of dying early has only 10% to do with the Health System. One 40% has to do with lifestyle and one 30% has to do with genetics. So, we give all our money to this 10% and close our eyes to the 90% that can play a more important role" he emphasized. And while making lifestyle changes may seem expensive on an individual level, for health systems it actually represents a savings.
Some say we can achieve this in the future with drugs. What can we do immediately? Studies show that "never having smoked, having a normal body mass index (BMI ≤23), moderate alcohol consumption, a healthy (Mediterranean) diet and physical activity for 30 minutes a day" they can provide up to 43 extra healthy years of life, concluded. Technology helps us live longer and better
Theodoros Fessas, President, Quest Holdings
Taking the floor, Mr Thodoris Fessas, President, Quest Holdings he mentioned that 50% of health spending goes to treating just five long-term diseases, with 20% of GDP in the US being absorbed by the Healthcare System. "So a healthy population, in addition to reducing health costs, also offers to the Economy, since there is a greater supply of work", he added, emphasizing the benefits that the huge advancement of technology has for us to live longer and better. At the diagnostic level, for example, the annual MRI could detect a disease before it manifests or in its initial stages, while the w they could protect us from cardiovascular events, said Mr. Fessas.
9th Delphi Economic Forum
The Delphi Economic Forum organized since 2016, with the location of the annual meetings of the conferences in Delphi. Academics, politicians, businessmen and leading experts participate in the forum every year, in an effort to address the contemporary challenges affecting Greece and the surrounding area. The development of new strategies through changes and structural reforms in order to achieve sustainable and socially responsible development models of governance, with a geographical determination of Greece, Europe and the wider region of the eastern Mediterranean, is the goal that each annual event must achieve.
main photo: From the left: Theodoros Fessas, Chairman of Quest Holdings SA – Vicky Flessa, Classical Philology Journalist, ERT, Greek Parliament TV – George Chrousos, Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics and Endocrinology National and Kapodistrian University of Athens – Kalliopi Kalaitzi, MD Founder & chief medical officer The longevity & well-being clinic
