306. Lifestyle factors play large role in later risk of nursing home admission
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
If you want to stay out of a nursing home as you get older, you might want to stop smoking and start exercising now. In a new study presented at the International Conference on Obesity, researchers at the University of Sydney analyzed data on over 127,000 Australians. They divided the participants into three groups based on lifestyle factors, including smoking, physical activity, sitting, sleep quality and diet quality. They found that those with the least healthy lifestyles were twice as likely to be admitted to a nursing home. In fact, smokers had a 55 percent higher chance of needing nursing home care than non-smokers.
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
