Dr. Mario Fatigati discusses aging gracefully – and healthfully
This month, we’re focusing on senior health and how to stay healthy as we age. We talk with Dr. Mario Fatigati, who is board certified in internal and geriatric medicine and is affiliated with St. Clair Hospital. He is also a certified medical director in long-term care.
What is geriatric medicine and how is it changing with increasing lifespans?
Realistically, the technology of geriatrics is pointed toward the frail elderly who are of advanced age, have multiple medical problems and multiple medications and functional issues. My goal in treating a geriatric patient is to maintain their highest level of functioning. When I practice internal medicine, I look at people as an individual – I have people in their 80s who are functioning like they’re 65 years old. When I get those patients, I treat them like they’re 55.
Baby boomers are aging now, so are we seeing a lot of people entering their later years already physically fit and more health conscious than ever?
I think you could make that statement, but there are also a solid percentage of people that don’t worry about their health. The key is healthy habits: Eat the right stuff, everything in moderation, get good sleep, get good exercise, and stay away from nicotine. The old tenets that were valid then are valid now and are just common sense.
What should we keep an eye on as we age and what are some red flags we should notice?
As you get into your 50s and 60s, having a relationship with a primary care doctor is a good thing. There are some advances in technology that can help you. We know better now than we ever did how to calculate your risk of stroke or heart attack in the next 10 years using your blood pressure and cholesterol. We can help you mitigate that risk and help you age very successfully. Prostate and colon checks and mammograms are all worthwhile to keep up with and will help you avoid problems down the road with breast, prostate and colon cancer.
What is the biggest overall health issue you’re noticing among the population today?
Obesity and dietary problems are pervasive in our society. Weight is as important as anything and people who have healthy eating habits such as avoiding carbohydrates, lots of fat and sugary drinks will age much better. That’s a real challenge for this generation. From a cardiovascular standpoint, the one thing that changes is your inability to raise your heart rate. When you’re 20, you can raise it to 200. When you’re in your 50s, you can only raise it to 160-170. The formula 220 minus your age is your maximum heart rate and that can affect metabolism. Because of hormonal changes, you gain fat and lose muscle, and muscle is what burns calories. So in order to age successfully, you have to work your heart through aerobic exercise and also keep up with some sort of resistance training to maintain your muscles so you can burn more calories. If you do resistance training, even though you age, your muscles will be more active even though they’re not as dynamic as they once were.
What developments in geriatric medicine and research are you excited about for the future?
The idea that you could prevent things like dementia is exciting to me. The excitement is learning to understand how we age and being able to age successfully so that you can function later in life. It gets back to these ideas of maintaining. Age really doesn’t matter if you can maintain your muscle tone and remain active, you can function well into your 90s both physical and mentally. That, for me, is exciting. Helping people avoid strokes and heart attacks and cancer as they get older – three new drugs came out this year including one that’s been shown to prevent death in patients with congestive heart failure. Two new diabetic drugs that have come out in the last year have been shown to decrease heart attacks. I do think some of those advances are exciting.
Staying mentally sharp is just as important as physical fitness as we age. What can we do to achieve that?
It can be anything … seeing friends, playing golf, cards. Socialization is very important and the more active you are, the better your brain is going to work. If you isolate, you’re going to lose it. Later in life, things happen, such as losing a spouse or a child. Sometimes elderly people are prone to depression and anxiety, but remember that those are treatable illnesses and there’s no shame in that. It’s all about mental health, normal aging and staying active. Get the help that you need and you can feel better.
What are you doing to stay healthy as you age?
I have had some joint problems from playing sports when I was young and I have a heart condition that I never knew about that showed up in my 50s. I struggle with my diet, but my wife has me really locked down to avoid carbohydrates and fat. I exercise three days a week doing aerobic training and some weight lifting. I’m a generally lazy person, so I work with a trainer who tells me what to do and I do it. I struggle with stress like everyone else, but I enjoy what I do and I try to keep active. I would prefer not age, but if I gotta do it, then I guess I’ll do it. I turned 62 this year and everybody thinks I’m going to retire, but I have no plans to slow down or retire!