One of the weird observations that has come out of medical research is that there is a link between the number of years of education that someone has and the likelihood that they will suffer from heart disease or a stroke. In general terms, the more highly educated somebody is, the less likely they are to suffer from any sort of health issues in this regard. Yes, there are exceptions, but this speaks to a general trend. It has been observable for years, but scientists are just now starting to learn a little bit more about why this might be the case.
Previous studies agreed that for every 3.6 years spent being educated, the risk of cardiovascular disease was decreased by one-third. The more years spent in school, the less likely someone was to develop this disease. Thanks to current efforts from the Imperial College London, doctors now know that those who have a higher degree of education are more likely to have a healthier body mass index, lower blood pressure, and they are less likely to have ever smoked. These factors account for about 50 percent of the reason why people with more education are healthier in this respect. They’re still not sure what the other 50 percent encompasses.
Awareness is likely a huge reason here. Other studies have shown that compulsory education laws do a lot to help improve the overall health of a community. Sometimes, just being more aware of the impact that poor health can make leads us to making better life decisions.
Now, there’s not much that can be done to increase the level of education that an elderly loved one has. This study might seem like it can do very little to help seniors right now, but that’s not necessarily the case. Your grandfather is not likely to want to go back to college, but you can help him to know more about how his actions can impact his future.
Also, this information can be used moving into the future as a preventative measure. If you have younger family members that are considering furthering their education, increased health might be one of the things that helps them to make that decision. Now, it’s not schooling in particular that leads to increased health, but rather the opportunities that come with it. Still, this knowledge might be something that can be used now for future benefits.
Really, that’s the best way to approach senior care. There’s no surefire way to predict the future, but the sooner preventative measures are put in place, the more likely a healthy life will be during retirement years. Ultimately, the goal is to help people stay as healthy and happy as possible for as long as possible. If this reduces the need for long term care, then that’s even better.
But, if care is necessary, having knowledgeable and helpful people on your side is a must. If you have questions in this area, please feel free to give us a call to schedule a free consultation today.
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