aging

While half the world is worried about aging, one industry is rubbing its hands: the elevator industry

by

The world ages. And at a good pace too. If the World Health Organization (WHO) hits the nail on the headin 2050 the percentage of people over 60 years of age will double that of 2015. From representing 12% it will become close to 22%. Beyond the percentages, this aging translates into challenges in economic, health and social matters. Also in juicy business opportunities, like the one that he thinks he has before him the elevator industry. In their case, an older world will be a world with more work. What has happened? That TK Elevator has shaken the elevator sector by openly recognizing that the gradual aging of the planet (very visible already in Europe or countries like Japan either Korea) represents a lucrative business opportunity. The reason is simple: the more elderly, the greater the need for elevators in buildings. Especially since these and their services are also aging. “A growing trend”. If TK’s words have generated so much expectation, it is because it is not just any company. The firm, based in Düsseldorf, is a heavy weight within the sector, where it is responsible for both manufacturing machinery and maintaining it. Their models can be found in emblematic skyscrapers in New York, although the bulk of their business comes from much more modest buildings occupied by homes, offices or shops. His prediction about the future of the sector in an increasingly aging world has not been made anywhere either. has shared it with one of the most influential newspapers in the US, Financial Times. “As the population ages there is a need to install elevators. We see this becoming a growing trend,” recognize the firm’s executive director, Uday Yadavl. The example of Japan. During his interview, Yadaval cited a specific case: Japan, perhaps one of the countries that is most clearly suffering from the winds of demographic winter. Although all your attempts to reactivate its population engine (and there have been many), the birth rate continues at levels historically low while on the streets it is increasingly easier to find elderly people. According to Our World in Datathe country has the highest “old-age dependency ratio” (the ratio between people over 64 and people of working age) in the world: in 2021 it exceeded 50%, which means that there are only two people of working age for every elderly person. And since then demographic indicators have not exactly improved. It is estimated that about 30% of the country’s population is 65 or older, which is equivalent to tens of millions of people. A widespread phenomenon. Japan is not the only nation facing an aging population, a problem with which Europe fights and other countries, such as South Korea either China. In general the WHO has warned that the trend seems to be accelerating globally and remember that in 2020 the number of people aged 60 or over exceeded that of children under five. “In 2030, one in six people in the world will be 60 years old or older,” insists the WHO, recalling that by then the world population over 60 years old will total 1.4 billion people, well above the 1,000 in 2020. Demographics (and more). It’s not just that more and more older people live in cities and need elevators to get to their homes, it’s that the buildings themselves need renovations. At the end of the day, we age… and the blocks in which we reside. Yadav estimates There are about 22 million elevators worldwide, of which a third (30%) are more than two decades old. In practice, this translates into an immense number of facilities that probably need improvements and tune-ups, a demand that, assures the manager from TK Elevator, is already “growing in a meaningful way.” “More than remarkable”. Although his weight in the sector gives him special relevance, Yadav is not the first to have publicly recognized the good forecasts that the elevator industry has. Last summer Roland Berger published a report in which he provided several insights into the global elevator market, valued according to his calculations at 107 billion dollars. After “several ups and downs” in recent years, marked by COVID-19 or the real estate crisis in China, companies now face a “more than notable growth panorama.” A trend that connects the sector with the flourishing silver economythe economy driven precisely by aging. Images | Zhuojun Yu (Unsplash) In Xataka | In Japan there is no doubt that they live worse than 30 years ago. Houses are literally getting smaller.

We have been dreaming of stopping aging for centuries. The question is if we are finally achieving it: Crossover 1×37

by

Myths such as that of the fountain of eternal youth have helped human beings through the ages. let’s dream of not aging and living forever. Reality is still cruel: Although life expectancy has increased, we age without seeming to slow it down. But there are those who argue that there may be. In this episode we have spoken with Dr. José Hernández, longevity expert and founder of a clinic specialized in Age Reversal, to understand what aging really is, why it is considered a disease today, and what technologies could allow us to go back biologically. In this debate we talk about information theory and epigenetic damage, cellular reprogramming, or how there are already large companies —and some billionaires— investing significantly in this. In fact, the most advanced science is accompanied by methods that seem much more effective not so much in slowing down aging but in ensuring that our physical condition is much better when this process affects us: Physical exercise is an absolute pillar of longevityassures this expert. Of course there are other factors that influence – diet and genetics, of course, do – but we are dealing with a question that has opened numerous avenues of research, some of which are promising. Who knows what can happen. On YouTube | Crossover In Xataka | Don’t tell me your age, tell me your grip strength: how simple gestures tell us how well we are aging

20 years after Dolly we still haven’t cloned humans, but stopping aging is feasible: Crossover 1×32

by

In the summer of 1996, a Scottish laboratory made a breakthrough that would forever alter our understanding of genetics and ignite intense debates about the ethics and the possibilities of cloning. That day Dolly was bornthe first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell. This milestone, achieved by researchers at the Roslin Institute, opened a new era in genetic engineering and shattered the belief that only embryonic cells possess the potential for the complete development of a new individual. Since then there has been debate about the possibility of cloning human beings, but we have not done it and it does not seem that we will ever do it. Serezade, molecular biologist, researcher and scientific communicator, talks to us about that and many other things this week. But we also discussed with her another fascinating topic: how the latest advances seem to be achieving something long sought after: slow aging. There is a lot of fabric to cut here, and for example the environment, culture and habits shape our DNA. But there are also risks, ethics and genetic privacy intertwined. And all this raises a key question: does it make sense to be immortal? On YouTube | Crossover In Xataka | The promise of 120 years is dismantled: biology sets a life ceiling that is quite difficult to break

Your heart has a natural “handbrake” against aging and it is important to consume enough

by

When we think about diseases related to the heart or with our circulatory system The need to reduce the fat consumption either salt. But there is an actor that we have somewhat forgotten aside and that can significantly influence how our arteries age: magnesium. What is known. Magnesium seems to be intended for athletes so that they put it in their hands and do not slip on the training bars or to avoid cramps or improve sleep. But science is seeing that this mineral is really important for keeping our arteries functioning in a controlled manner. And its function is so critical that experts see it essential to prevent the blood from becoming ‘too active’ and to thus protect the heart from premature wear. The influencers. And the truth is that seeing all the properties it has, there are many influencers that we can see promoting the use of this supplement through social networks. Above all, taking advantage of sales channels like the TikTok Shop to try to sneak it in to anyone who wants to have all these properties, but logically going through their checkout. That is why although it has great features, especially in the coagulation of our bloodwe must understand exactly why its effect is like this and also whether or not it is necessary to supplement. Since with our wonderful Mediterranean diet Few people will see it as totally necessary. The importance of blood. It is known that blood should neither be too liquid nor too ‘thick’ for it to move correctly. Calcium is one of those responsible for keeping the blood in an optimal state, favoring coagulation when it is too liquid (something that could increase the probability of bleeding). But on the other side we must have a brake that does exactly the opposite, to prevent the blood from being too coagulated, which can cause problems such as thrombi. This is precisely magnesium. And the key is in the balance of both substances so that the blood is in optimal conditions to do its job. It is something documented. A review that was published in 2024 Cureu detailed this mechanism quite precisely: without enough magnesium, calcium dominated cellular function. The only thing this caused was that the platelets did not stop sticking together, making the risk of thrombosis increase enormously. In this way, it was seen that magnesium was a natural antithrombotic that kept the blood with adequate fluidity. Living longer with good health. Taking care of the blood vessels is essential to be able to have correct aging, avoiding problems such as the formation of thrombi or rupture of the endothelium of the vessels. Because the endothelium is nothing more than the part of the arteries that is in contact with the blood and its degeneration only causes the formation of atheroma plaques or the lack of regulation of blood pressure. That is why in a randomized controlled trial published in the magazine Circulation shed light on this: magnesium therapy in patients at coronary risk significantly improved endothelial function. The researchers observed that the higher the levels of intracellular magnesium, the better the ability of the arteries to dilate and adapt to blood flow. The secret of a good diet. But with this the question is mandatory: should magnesium supplementation be uncontrolled? The answer is no. Currently we live in a world where food supplements and bioelements such as tryptophan, magnesium, or calcium are the order of the day. But the reality is that you only have to supplement if there is a deficiency demonstrated by an analysis and that it has a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In the normal case, a balanced diet gives us all the necessary elements that we do not produce organically. That is why having a diet rich in green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds is enough to have the adequate level of magnesium to have adequate regulation of our coagulation. On another point, if you do not follow the classic Mediterranean diet and hardly consume vegetables, you should undoubtedly opt for supplementation, but always under medical supervision. Because as with everything, Too much can cause problems also for our body. Images | Kenny Eliason Xataka | You will love muscle above all things: how protein fever has led to a cult of the “perfect” body

The aging of its population is about to leave Japan without a key element for the nation: pants

by

Japan has entered a unprecedented demographic phase for an advanced economy: retirement mass of the generation that supported its industry coincides with a young one that is too small (and unwilling) to occupy the jobs that this economy requires to continue functioning. On paper, global demand for certain domestically manufactured goods has never been higher, but in the engine room, those who know how to produce them are aging without substitutes. Fabric turned into luxury. He japanese denimslowly woven, dense and dyed with natural indigo in repeated cycles, enjoys a moment of consecration worldwide: Dior, Balenciaga and other luxury houses incorporate it, celebrities exhibit it, the market projects grow more than 85% until 2035 and tourism (supported by a weak yen) triple sales in Kojima’s “Jeans Street.” For an industry that had been hollowed out by decades of cheap imports, the return of demand is not marginal but cultural: the value resides in the texturethe way indigo ages and in that kind of aura of exclusivity that results from real and not cosmetic scarcity. In fact, brands with Japanese only website and without direct export they increase that breath of rarity and price. Without a job when it is most demanded. The apogee has arrived when the productive base collapses: There are barely fifty artisans left in the founding heart of the japanese selvedgethe average age is close to seventy, and apprentices last months before giving up due to noise, heat, grease, discipline and slowness. Bloomberg counted that the skill curve is not linear: it takes six months to five years to operate the loom and up to a decade to maintain and repair it. With the master generation entering retirement and entrepreneurs without time to transmit the trade, continuity is broken by calendar, not by market. Ancient technology. The shuttle looms of the early 20th century (now relics) allow continuous edging what gives the “selvedge” and the density of the weave that produces an unmistakable drape, feel and aging in the fabric. Japan came to have 300,000 machines of this type. The problem? Today there are less than 400 operationsa lower third a single signature. To maintain them you have to remove pieces of other machines already stopped and work at a pace that doesn’t fit with today’s industry. They cannot be replaced by automation without losing exactly what the customer pays for: a finish that only time gives on a slow-made fabric. What is authentic is paid for. Plus: the one who pays For this denim you are not looking just for the feel, but for a product that takes time to make, that ages well and does not depend on the rapid rotation of fashion. In other words, this preference fits with the rejection of fast-fashion and a turn towards objects designed to last. The signs are many and clear: Levi’s sells “Blue Tab” lines for twice the price of a normal 501, Capital places jeans worth several hundred or thousands of dollars, and funds linked to the almighty LVMH they invest in Kojima brands. The problem of aging. Japan is getting older faster than there is time to teach the trade. The factories have plenty of orders, but they cannot get hire or train substitutes. The owners travel and manage, but they do not have hours to teach, and the machines will be lost due to lack of parts and hands that know how to maintain them. If the drift continues like this, the problem will not be a lack of demand but capacity: in about ten years (according to own manufacturers) this type of product will no longer be able to be made because neither the technicians nor the machines will be able to work. There are no shortcuts. The final paradox is that the boom of the sector It doesn’t seem like it’s going to save the job, rather it accelerate towards the limit: The more demand grows, the more it squeezes the few remaining hands and the less time there is to teach others. Thus, the world Japanese denim is faced with a disturbing choice: slow down the pace to transmit the trade (even if that means losing sales in the short term) or exploit the latest generation until it is exhausted, knowing that this would leave a product that will possibly disappear, not due to lack of market, but because no one will be able to do it anymore. Image | PxHere, Liface In Xataka | That Japan has 100,000 people over 100 years old explains a problem: they are literally running out of drivers. In Xataka | Japan’s aging has hit rock bottom with a devastating fact: more and more elderly people want to live in prison

There is a ‘good’ fat that hides a secret to aging better and being fit. It only remains to get the pill

by

Aging is inevitable, and with it it comes A progressive loss of physical capacity that causes it to be more difficult to walk or stand up. This makes Stay fit It becomes much more difficult and therefore the resistance begins to decline. But … what if this decline can be slow down? This is precisely what science is focused on. Fat as anti -aging. Researchers at the Rigers New Jersey Medical School They have discovered That a special type of adipose tissue, known as brown fat, could be the key not only for healthier old age, but also Improve physical performance. A study of great relevance, since it can open a new route in the anti -aging field. The team that has led this research has been able to identify an unusually powerful form of this ‘good fat’ in mice, which not only Increased his life expectancybut improved its exercise capacity by an impressive 30%. Now, the race has begun to be able to replicate these same effects in humans through a drug. Not all fat is bad. When we think of fat, the White fat or white adipose tissue. Its main function is to store excess calories in the form of triglycerides and is the one that can bother us aesthetically throughout our lives. Although in essence it is a large energy deposit. But, nevertheless, there is another type of fat that is much more interesting: brown fat or Brown adipose tissue. Unlike white, brown fat is specialized in burning calories to generate heat in a process called thermogenesis. This is possible thanks to the fact that their cells are full of mitochondria, which are the organelles that act as cellular power plants and that give it its characteristic brown color. In our life where we have more fatty fat in our body is when we are babies, since here it is crucial for Keep body temperature. But when we grow, the brown fat is lost until some cracks are around the neck and shoulders. But here the white fat is the one that dominates our body completely. One step further. Knowledge about brown fat already has a long journey in scientific literature. But it is now when this study goes further to point that it is linked to having a healthier longevity and with a much more appropriate physical exercise. How they knew it. To get to this conclusion, the researchers worked with a genetically modified mouse model to lack a protein called RGS14. The mice without this protein lived approximately 20% than their normal partners, and curiously the females lived more than the males in a pattern similar to that followed by humans. Even at the advanced ages, these mice avoided the typical signs of aging such as body atrophy, hair loss or the graying of the fur. But it does not stay here, since when submitting them to physical tests, the modified mice showed a 30% higher performance, both in distance traveled and in resistance. And all this because mice without RGS14 developed a dense and powerful brown fat than who expressed the protein correctly. The definitive test. To confirm that it was brown fat, and not another effect of genetic modification, scientists conducted a crucial experiment: transplanting the brown ‘supergras’ of mice without RGS14 to normal and healthy mice. The results were overwhelming. The mice that received this transplant improved their ability to exercise in just three days. On the other hand, when brown fat was transplanted from a normal mouse to another, an improvement was also observed, but much more and with eight weeks ahead to manifest its effects. Something that showed that the fat of the genetically modified mice was exceptionally powerful. Because? The mechanism seems to reside in an improvement in blood circulation. The indications suggest that brown fat promotes the creation of new blood cases in the muscles that improves the flow of blood and oxygen during exercise. The goal. Research suggests that this brown fat not only improves physical performance, but also protects against a series of ailments associated with age, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and even cancer and Alzheimer’s. Vatner’s team is already working with collaborators to develop a drug that imitates the effects of this powerful brown fat, hoping to have a compound ready to be tested in approximately one year. But the idea is not only to increase life expectancy, but “healthy life expectancy.” That is, even if you live longer, these ‘extra’ years enjoy good physical and mental health. While we expect that future pill, there are techniques such as deliberate exposure to cold (the famous ice baths) that can naturally increase our brown fat levels. However, as Vatner points out, most people would prefer to take a pill to take an ice cream bath. Images | Tatiana Zanon In Xataka | Our brain has its own backup. It is already known how to create copies in parallel of each memory

In an increasingly aging country to become old, it is a condemnation of poverty

by

G. Young Soo has done everything reasonably well In life. At least in work. At 23, she began working as a office worker in an insurance company and throughout the last three and a half decades, she has gradually climbing in the organization chart, through the positions of a branch director and team leader in several departments. Now, with 59 years, his future is quite black: his salary has been trimming during the last five years until he stayed in the middle of what he charged at 55 and in a few months, when he reached 60, he will have to leave his post. It is not that Young Soo has angry at its bosses or that has been accommodated after 36 years of loyal service. No. His employment situation is explained simply and plainly by the complex (and controversial) Employment Laws of South Korea based on age. “Alone on a road with curves”. Young Soo is a pseudonym, but its history is real and reflects the situation in which many South Korean workers are about to turn 60. We know it because it is one of the 34 employees in the country Interviewees By Human Rights Watch (HRW) to know the work overview (and vital) they face. All share several characteristics: they are between 42 and 72, they work in Seoul (some in the public sector, others in private companies) and will have to deal with the country’s labor policies. Their stories often go along the same lines as G. Young Soo: after years (or even decades) of work their professional/financial/vital perspectives darken as they approach their sixty birthday. Another similar case is that of Young Sook, 59 too and that has been working as a nurse for almost four decades. At 60 he will have to retire, yes or yes, a perspective that causes authentic unease. “I can’t imagine outside this organization”, confesses The woman during her talk with HRW. “It would be like being alone on a road with curves.” “Punished for aging”. His stories are part of A report of 72 pages in which HRW warns of the serious consequences that Corea’s laws and policies have for the oldest population. The document is so critical that its tone already advances in the same title: “Punished for aging”. It may seem exaggerated, but the analysis indicates that the country’s regulations often end up condemning its elders to a gradual loss of purchasing power, worse quality jobs, low remuneration and undercurred mental health. “The laws and policies of South Korea to protect older workers from age discrimination actually have the opposite effect,” Bridget Sleap warnsHRW researcher. “They deny older workers the opportunity to continue working on their main jobs, they are paid less and force them to accept precarious jobs and with lower salaries, all simply because of their age. The government should stop punishing workers just to age.” In your report there is an idea that slides several times: “Remove Ageism“ A percentage: 38%. The report of HRW not only exposes specific cases. It also slides some figures and percentages that help to better understand the situation that the elders live in the country. According to the data it manages, in 2023 the relative poverty rate among people of 65 or more years was 38%, The worst result of the countries that make up the OECD. In practice, that means that almost four out of ten elders have 50% (or less) of the national average income, which in 2023 stood at approximately $ 28,200. HRW quotes another report that reveals that the average monthly salary of 60 or more years were 29% lower than their younger colleagues. The percentage is not too surprising if we take into account two factors. The first is that in the country there is a system that allows to reduce wages in the years before retirement. The second, that 69% of people over 60 who worked in 2023 did it in precarious jobs. If we talk about the South Korean population as a whole, that data does not reach 40%. A problem with three legs. The big question arriving at this point is … Why are so many older ones attached to that situation? Although there are many factors at stake, there are three keys, three laws or labor policies based on age for HRW. The first is the mandatory retirement age. South Korean legislation is fixed from the age of 60, which means that companies can force a work to retire when they are fulfilled. No need to claim more reasons. They are the companies those that decide whether or not they set a retirement age, but the measure is widespread. Both in the public sector and among private companies. Especially in organizations of more than 300 employees. According to the South Korean Ministry of Labor, they accept that possibility 95% of companies With that last profile, signatures that usually set forced retirement in the 60 years. Among small businesses it is not so normal. In the country I already has opened the debate on the need to rethink (and increase) retirement age. In fact, President Lee Jae Myung has committed to approximately 65 years old, but HRW’s study slides that the key is not when the elderly are withdrawn, but how they do it. The maximum salary rule. The other standard that HRW quotes is the “maximum salary” system, which marks the last years of the elderly in its companies. “It allows employers to reduce workers’ salaries during the three or five years prior to their mandatory retirement,” says the agency, recalling that this practice “causes financial and psychological damage” to those affected, in addition to “based on a discriminatory stereotype.” Without counting on its impact on the quotes, compensation for dismissal or unemployment payments. And why does that system apply? The initial idea was to reduce the cost of hiring major personnel in a salary system based on antiquity and at the same time favor the creation of … Read more

The aging of the population and a poor pension system has a new symbol in Japan: grandmothers are rented

by

During the last months, the great drag crisis Japan with the aging of its population has been expressed in multiple formats. For example, in the field they are becoming Schools in hotels And more and more elderly for living in jail. In fact, the situation is such that the shortage of young labor has turned retirement into an aspiration of the past, with a large group of over 70 years keeping your work life Active The latest: the nation has begun to rent grandmothers. Grandmother for hours. As we said, in the context of a society that ages quickly and where loneliness and isolation They have become structural phenomena, Japan has witnessed the emergence of a unique and deeply revealing service: Ok obaachanan initiative that allows rent grandmothers For hours to fulfill as varied functions as teaching to cook, take care of children, accompany a loving break or simply provide emotional support. Behind this phenomenon, which might seem picturesque at first sight, underlies a series of economic tensions and social that clearly draw the fragility of the social contract in the Third Japanese age. With More than 9.3 million of people over 65 years old still active (That is, one in four elders continues to work after retirement age), many are forced to seek new forms of income against pensions that are barely enough to meet basic needs. For these older women, OK Obaachan represents not only an economic way, but also a form of Keep feeling usefulpresent and linked to society. A human catalog. The service, offered by the Client Partners companyis presented as a multifunctional female personnel (a kind of task and company company) and offers grandmothers to a cost of 3,300 yen per hour (More transport). The current template includes about 100 women between 60 and 94 yearswith diverse profiles and skills that cover From the kitchen, calligraphic writing or family mediation, to the simple ability to listen, advise or do affective presence. What began as a practical project has become an experience deeply human: Some grandmothers accompany people who want to leave the closet in front of their parents, others participate in academic research on social evolution in Japan, and there are those who simply help cope with everyday life. Some of the “rental grandmothers” Grandmothers of all colors. He Customer profile It is as wide as that of the grandmothers themselves: young people without family, lonely adults, people looking for a maternal figure, or even couples in the process of rupture that require a conciliatory presence. The range of services covers from functional to emotional, and in many cases the symbolic. Social reactions. What’s doubt, the appearance of the service has generated reactions found In Japanese society. While some value the possibility of receiving advice and affection from an experienced person, others express discomfort Before commercialization of human ties. In fact, they have appeared comments on networks social ranging from praise to the idea of ​​”feeling needy” to irony about the physical risk for the elderly or even the complaint about the lack of an equivalent service for men. Because, in effect, ok obaachan is exclusively feminineboth in its template and in its parallel services of “rental friends” or “rental relatives”, all managed by a company that It is defined as “Manitas company only for women.” They counted the media premises that, although there is a male version called Ossan Rental (Centered on middle -aged men, between 30 or 40 years), its approach is different and more informal, and does not reach the level of visibility or sophistication of the service focused on grandmothers. Grandmothers as a symptom. The proliferation of this type of services cannot be analyzed without attending the demographic backdrop that makes them possible. We have gone counting: Japan is one of the countries more aged of the world, with an inverted population pyramid, rates of minimal birth rate and a longevity that exceeds 85 years on average. Traditional family structures are They have eroded: Unipersonal households They multiplyintergenerational links They weakenand community fabric It is fragmented. In this scenario, older people not only face economic uncertainty, but also an existential vacuum. Initiatives like OK Obaachan They workas well as a kind of emotional economy, in which rent affection (either On the contrary), listening and the human heat that was previously given in the family. Far from being a marginal curiosity, the phenomenon embodies an adaptive response (and, of course, commercial) to a deeply structural need. Radiography of the present. If you want, although the boom Ok obaachan Point to the endearing, functional or even ingenious, deep down it is a sign of cultural transformation. The figure of the grandmother, traditionally associated with the home, the transmission of values ​​or the emotional refuge, has become a professionalized resourcenegotiable and temporal. What was previously free and spontaneous is now organized, is invoiced and reserved for hours. A RARE Av of professionalization of tenderness that speaks both of the spirit of resilience of older women and the void left by a Hyperravalized societywhere every need (even affective) must be covered For a transaction. Japan, as in so many Other trendsit is possible that anticipating a phenomenon that could be reproduced in other industrialized societies. In an increasingly individualistic world and agedperhaps the question is not why there is a grandmothers service for rent, but why the hell we need so much. Image | Miki YoshihitoClient Partners In Xataka | The aging of the population in the field has taken Japan to an unprecedented proposal: converting schools into hotels In Xataka | The aging of the population is causing Japan to make an unprecedented decision: welcome digital nomads

How simple gestures tell us how good we are aging

by

In recent days, various media They have echoed of The statements what he did in his podcast Peter Attia, expert in longevity. In your program, The Peter Attia Drivethe toilet explained that a man between 40 and 50 years should be able to load his own weight (75% of his weight in the case of women) distributed between his two hands and walk for a minute. This raises a curious doubt: what does our grip force With longevity? Well, although it may seem surprising, our grip strength can tell us a lot about how we are aging. Several studies published in recent years seem to confirm this relationship, turning the grip force into an important biomarker linked to healthy aging. “People with better grip force age more slowly. Having a good grip force can slow down the immunosenescence process, or the deterioration of your immune defense associated with age,” Ardeshir Hashmi explainsdoctor at Cleveland Clinic. “You can also improve your ability to recover of diseases, or homeostenesis. Finally, it can prevent fragility. “ The lack of grip force is, for this expert, not only indicator of a faster aging, also a sign of a higher risk of chronic and even a lower life expectancy. Scientific literature seems to secondary this relationship. A study Published this year in the magazine Scientific ReportsIt is a good example of this. The study analyzed a population of 1,446 agent participants between 50 and 90 years of age, the majority (1,095) women. The team measured the grip force of each participant, who also filled a survey focused on estimate your quality of life. The team found a significant relationship between grip and the general evaluation of the level of quality of life. Another recent studypublished in 2023 in the magazine Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and MuscleHe used biological watches to study the relationship between grip and aging force. Biological watches are different biomarkers that indicate to what extent or what rhythm our body ages beyond our standard chronological age. The study responsible for the study also found an inverse relationship between aging, measured through markers of the DNA methylationand the grip force. In other words: people with greater force of grip tend to age more slowly as observed in this study. Posted in the same magazine, but a year earlier, Another study He found that the little grip force was associated with a major risk of dementia Already greater mortality. This taking into account associated factors that could lead to establishing the relationship. These are some of the recent examples found in the literature. In 2019, A review of literature Published in the magazine Clinical interventions in aging He had already found, in previous analysis, evidence of the link between the grip force and health, through factors as varied as general strength, density of bone minerals, fractures, malnutrition, cognitive impediments, diabetes, depression or quality of life, among others. Remedying loss Some doctors, such as Dr. Hashmi recommend exercise to avoid the loss of this grip force, a loss associated with the age that tends to begin around the age of 50. According to hashmithis can be as simple as squeezing a ball (such as the classic antiestrés balls) for at least 10 minutes and twice a day. This without forgetting Conventional exercises that can help us to keep ourselves in form in more advanced ages. Although the recommendation to exercise and lead an active life is never more, it should be noted that the relationship between the grip force and our welfare and longevity is complex. Correlation does not always imply a direct cause ratio. For example, grip force can perfectly be correlated with our general health status. People who exercise will probably have greater grip force and also a better state of health. In addition, we know some forms of dementia and neurological diseases such as scleriosis not only reduce our quality of life, but also They affect our mobility and our ability to handle and develop when it comes to doing so. In Xataka | Preventing is better than healing: why keep doing sports in adulthood can save us a scare with hypertension Image | RDNE Stock Project

Japan has encountered a problem with the aging of their growing foreign community: they cannot bury them

by

Japan and their society have been immersed in a process of transformation where the role of “foreigner” every time It is more important. Waves arrive in the country, and in many cases to stay. The clearest example is giving with many Chinese who They arrive not to returnbut it is exponential to all nations. This is resulting in the population of advanced foreign residents is increasing, and with it, of deaths. A problem that nobody saw. I told this one Nikkei weekend. Foreign residents in Japan are dealing with serious difficulties in burying their loved ones. The reason? The Cremation predominancewhich has become the norm in the country. He 99.99% of the deceased In Japan they are cremated, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, which leaves those who require burial for religious reasons or simply by tradition with very few options. The problem is especially critical for Muslim and Christian communitieswhich consider unacceptable cremation. The situation is aggravated as the foreign population ages and grows the demand for burial spaces, which has turned the issue into an increasingly urgent challenge for the nation. Examples of a crisis. In the medium report they had a case that occurred last January after the death of A Pakistani man in Kanagawa which unleashed a frantic search for a cemetery that allowed its burial. His family, with limited resources, could not repatriate his body, and after multiple rejections and high costs, they finally managed to bury him in the Cemetery Honojo Kodama in Saitama, for a amount of 300,000 yen (around 2,000 euros), paid by friends of the community. There are more similar cases that are repeated throughout the country. For example, that of a Korean Christian woman 80 years old who died in October, and his son took a month and a half to find a burial site. During that time, his body had to be stored in a police installation. Factors that hinder burials. There are several keys to understanding the controversy around the shortage of cemeteries that allow burials. The first one already said: the predominance of cremation. Japan has gone from burying their dead to incinerate them almost entirely in the last 50 years. In 1913, only 31% of the deceased were cremated, but by 1934 it had already become the majority practice due to health concerns and lack of space. But there is more. Another problem is derived from The scarcity of landsince the large amount of land necessary for cemeteries in a country with limited space is a key obstacle. Also the Environmental concernssince there is fear that burials contaminating groundwater (although there is no clear evidence that supports said statement). Finally, it points to the local community resistancesince in many regions residents oppose the construction of new cemeteries, which has frustrated several projects. The aging of the “foreigners” and the future impact. Japan currently houses 3.41 million foreign residentsof which 220,000 are 65 years or older, an increase of 150% in the last decade. The aging of this population implies that the demand for burials will only grow in the coming years. In this regard, Professor Hirofumi Tanada, an expert in the Muslim community in Japan, estimates that there are around 350,000 Muslims in the countryfacing problems similar to those of other religious minorities. Tanada warned that in 10 or 15 years could be even more difficult Find places of burial, which will intensify the crisis. Regional disparity in the availability of cemeteries. Another of the problems of the problem. Japan presents strong regional inequalities In access to cemeteries. Namely: while in the Kanto region (which includes Tokyo and its surroundings) there are four private cemeteries that allow burials, in regions such as Tohoku and Kyushu have none. Again: despite the growing need, the efforts to create new cemeteries have found obstacles. Last December, the governor of Miyagi proposed to build a cemetery in the region, but received an avalanche of calls and emails from Citizens expressing your opposition. The attempt of a Muslim cemetery. It happened in 2018when the Beppu Muslim Association in Oita Prefecture tried to build a cemetery in the town of Hiji. After seven years of negotiations, they finally agreed with local authorities and residents to build the cemetery in municipal land, with conditions such as the limitation of the use of the cemetery to residents of Kyushu and a regular monitoring of water quality. However, The project was canceled When a new mayor revoked the sale of the land, citing environmental concerns. This left the Muslim community without viable options in the region. Proposals and barriers for a solution. Professor Khan Muhammad Tahir Abbas, director of the Beppu Muslim Association, told that the lack of cemeteries not only affects foreigners, but also Naturalized Japanese and converts to Islam or Christianity. Since 2021, requests have been presented to the Ministry of Social Welfare requesting the creation of adequate cemeteries for religious minorities. However, to date, Japan has not adopted No clear policy about itarguing that differences in customs and beliefs make it difficult to implement a standard solution. Meanwhile, other countries have managed to integrate religious burials into their funeral infrastructure. In Norway, the United States, Canada or Singapore, among others, specific sections have been designated in public cemeteries for Muslims and other religious minorities. A challenge that the nation cannot ignore. With the Foreign resident figures In hand, Japan is facing a problem that cannot be ignored. The lack of accessible cemeteries For this group it is a challenge that will only be aggravated over time. Although the cremation remains the norm, the aging of the foreign community demands a more inclusive answer by the Japanese government. As They explained in Nikkeiif the nation wants to fulfill its objective of being a more diverse and cozy society, it should facilitate solutions that allow religious minorities to bury their dead with dignity. This requires overcoming the local opposition, adapting funeral policies and developing adequate infrastructure, as other nations with … Read more

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.