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Friday April 26, 2002

Study: Volunteer and live longer

JERUSALEM -- Volunteering on a regular basis is the secret to longevity, according to a recently completed decade-long study at
"When you volunteer, you do something for others and also for yourself," said Dr. Yoram Maaravi, acting head of the department o

The Jerusalem study is particularly important because of the variety of ethnic groups in the city. Despite early speculations that major differences would characterize the ethnic groups, few differences in health and vitality emerged.

For the last decade, Hadassah researchers followed the life patterns of men and women who were 70 when the study began. The volunteers not only outlived those who stayed home, but lived longer than neighbors who had refused to give up their careers after reaching retirement age.

Regular exercise also played a formidable role in maintaining health and a spirited lifestyle, second only to voluntarism. Walking an hour a day four times a week cut mortality rates by 64 percent.

There was also counterintuitive news for those who stay home to prevent accidents and emergencies. The elderly with regular out-of-home activity were less likely to suffer medical emergencies, as measured in trips to the emergency room. Those who took part in regular outside volunteer activities felt better, suffered less from loneliness and were more independent, even though they had the same degree of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and depression as their non-active peers.

"We propose that regular out-of-home activity is beneficial at age 70 and above, and should be encouraged," said Maaravi. "Practically speaking, every man and woman should have a place they volunteer, and they should walk there and back."

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