At 71, Marc runs his 10 km every morning, rain or shine. His wife cooks “healthily”, he has never smoked, only drinks a little alcohol on special occasions and does not follow any treatment … However, he made an appointment for the “Aging with success” consultation. “I am convinced that prevention is better than cure,” he says. If my body is preparing a dirty trick for me, I prefer to be alerted as soon as possible, to ward off the threat more effectively. Marc understood everything, because it is the very spirit of the new approach, implemented two years ago by Dr Jean-Philippe David, geriatrician, who opened this unique consultation in France.
Identify weaknesses invisible to the naked eye
Of course, the French as a whole enjoy a longevity that many envy them. But, as a recent European study pointed out, this extra years does not always happen in good health. This is why Dr David receives people who are still in good shape, with one objective: to detect signs of fragility before they express themselves and thus maintain autonomy and quality of life for a very long time. “The vision of inevitable and homogeneous aging is now outdated,” explains the doctor. The decrease in muscle strength, for example, is infinitely variable. Some people run the marathon at age 80 when others are already in a wheelchair. Between these two extremes, the majority harbor weaknesses which cannot be seen with the naked eye, but which can be measured and, above all, corrected in time. “
We know that the determinants of future illnesses appear around 55-60 years old. It is also proven that an early intervention makes it possible to delay or avoid dependence, including in pathologies as serious as theAlzheimer’s disease. “Combining physical activity and social life reduces the risk of developing the disease by 50%,” says Dr. David. And consuming fish two or three times a week would slow its progress. “
A detailed medical and psychological assessment
Even before coming for a consultation, the patient receives a file to complete, exploring his personal and family history, his lifestyle: recording for three days what we eat and drink, in what quantity… We also ask them about the quality of his relational and social life, since it has been proven that solitude increases the risk of disease.
The person then comes to the day hospital to undergo a series of tests. The blood test will look for an inflammatory syndrome, involved in many pathologies, as well as vitamin deficiencies. All risk factors are explored: osteoporosis, incontinence, cognitive and sensory capacities, mood disorders… “A loss of skills in a single area risks having chain consequences,” explains the specialist. Then all it takes is stress or a trivial illness for the patient to not recover. A new appointment is made a few weeks later for a detailed report.
Less than 10% of consultants then receive support. Above all, they gain valuable information and personalized advice on prevention. This nurse in her fifties, who thought she was moving enough within the framework of her activity, understood that she was far from the 10,000 recommended daily steps. Since then, she has made the commutes from work to home on foot (4 km there and back). Marc, the dashing septuagenarian, was advised to vary his physical activities a little more, to also work on flexibility and balance. And she was prescribed vitamin D supplementation.
Fewer illnesses, therefore less costs for Social Security
Like almost a third of patients, Joëlle, 54, was especially worried about her sleep problems and concentration: “I am reassured, but I will make the recommended appointment to find the origin of my sleep disorders (snoring, apnea, etc.) and I intend to take a check-up quite regularly. If we could delay the chronic diseases associated with aging, patients and society as a whole would benefit by avoiding treatment, hospitalization and institutionalization. While this type of consultation has been developing in the United States and Canada for the past thirty years, Medicare is reluctant to cover them. It is true that they hardly fit into “boxes”: patient of too diverse ages to be covered by gerontology, not necessarily with a diagnosed disease …
Fit… up to 100 years old?
“We advise actions, dietary habits, but refer to the attending physician for follow-up,” admits Dr. David. When the majority of seniors tend to adapt their activities to their physical condition, gradually reducing them, they refuse to give up. Just like the Japanese Yuichiro Miura, who has just climbed Everest at 80, or the Indian Fauja Singh who hung up his sneakers at 101, after a final marathon, last February. “It’s a matter of luck, but we have to help him! », Says Marc.
