Broadcast Retirement Network’s Jeffrey Snyder discusses whether we should continue delaying our retirement age with AECC’s Sreedhar Potarazu MD.
Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network
Joining me now is Dr. Sridhar Pattarasu. Doctor, great to see you. Thanks for joining us on the program this morning.
Sreedhar Potarazu MD, AECC
Thanks for having me, Jeff, appreciate it.
Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network
Yeah, there’s been a lot of talk, doctor, in the medical community about maybe extending the retirement age. So typically people retire at age 65, but hey, we’re living longer, and you, doctor, think it makes sense to do so.
Sreedhar Potarazu MD, AECC
I do. You know, Jeff, historically, you know, we were retired, people were retiring, and when the age was 65, our longevity was very different. Even in my own practice, I see a lot of people that are living well into their 90s, a few even beyond 100.
So I feel like there should be a reset, and maybe not for everybody, but since our lifespans have changed significantly, that we might rethink, for various reasons, sort of delaying the retirement age, maybe even beyond, you know, some are suggesting maybe it needs to be 67, but maybe even into our 70s. Of course, it depends on the individual, it depends on their health, their financial status, whether they enjoy their work. So it’s not as if everybody needs to be forced, but I do think that there are certain individual benefits in terms of our own productivity, well-being, and human connection.
There are certain benefits, of course, economically, in terms of having a sustained income. There are perhaps benefits in terms of health benefits, right, in terms of getting, maintaining coverage that are becoming more difficult. And certainly from a politics standpoint, the overall solvency of Medicare itself and Social Security has always been an issue that is hovering in terms of whether the, you know, the trust fund will be solvent before you and I start to, me before you, in terms of tapping in.
But nonetheless, I think that these are some of the issues that need to be looked at more closely, and maybe that traditional age from where, you know, the program came out, you know, now almost 60 years ago, are those parameters still relevant?
Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network
And I tend to agree. I mean, I can only speak for myself in terms of my situation and my circumstances. I enjoy working, but you don’t have, doctor, you don’t have to do the same job for longer.
I think people maybe may, I can’t get in everyone’s shoes and head, but may misunderstand that, okay, well now you, instead of working 40 years in a career, you’re working 45, but say you enjoy fixing motorcycles or you want to, you know, be a, maybe be a lawyer or some other vocation. This gives you, affords you the opportunity to do that. And look, let’s just face it.
We’re living longer, but the medicine is really, the technology, the research has really caught up and is helping us live longer.
Sreedhar Potarazu MD, AECC
Oh yeah, I think there’s no question about that. I think you raise a great point that simply continuing to work doesn’t necessarily have to mean that you have to stick to one job or to one profession. I think there are a whole host of opportunities.
I think that a key part of that, as we know, when, you know, a recent study talked about what are the key correlators for predictors in terms of longevity and how much we connect with others. And even more importantly, what we’re able to do for others in terms of serving others is a critical component as a determinant of our longevity. We, yes, and number two, we are living longer because there have been many advances in terms of how we treat chronic disease now that are very different even from five years ago.
So if you look at, you know, the advent of GLPs and that whole category of drugs now that are not just being treated for, used for the treatment of diabetes, but weight loss, I think have dramatically changed how we may be looking at the impact of obesity and diabetes on our overall comorbidities in terms of mortality. And I think we’re gonna see even more innovation. Of course, comes along with that, the importance of stressing the relevance of physical mobility and exercise and nutrition, which I know are front and center right now in terms of eliminating or reducing ultra processed foods, ensuring that everybody is getting, you know, enough physical exercise.
And, you know, in the recent article that, you know, you had mentioned earlier that I did in the Baltimore Sun about Dr. Oz, who I’ve known well for over two decades, I’ve always felt, and certainly as a physician, that we need to be models of health for others to emulate, right? So in our leadership, we still have, and this is not just the U.S., but, you know, a generation that, you know, has a lot of wisdom, but we need to be the models of health in our 80s and otherwise, that we also practice what we preach in terms of fitness and exercise, and, you know, being a role model for others to be able to emulate. Because if I’m a doctor that’s overweight and not controlling my own health, I’m not gonna be able to convince you very much that you should be doing the same when I’m not really emulating that or modeling that behavior, right?
Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network
Yeah, well, I mean, you know, they teach you this. I’m not a parent, but I’ve always been told that when you’re a parent, do as you say, you know, make sure you follow through because your children will follow that, and I think you make a good point. I mean, if our medical leaders are not keeping fit and not doing the right things, how can you emulate that behavior?
So I completely agree. In the remaining time we have left, I wanted to, you know, you are a physician and you know a lot more than I about aging and what that means to the body. There’s been a lot of research out there in terms of extending lifespans.
What’s the latest thinking on, do we have the ability, the propensity as humans, as we’re currently, as we have currently evolved to living into the triple digits? Do we have the structural ability to do that if we do the right behaviors that you and others in the medical community are articulating? I’m just trying to get an idea of how much money I’m gonna need in retirement.
Sreedhar Potarazu MD, AECC
You raise a great point, and I think there’s enough science to tell us now that if you do certain, a big determinant of how you do when you reach the 90s and maybe past the century mark is very much determined by what we do up until about our 70s. So how well we manage those risk factors during that period in terms of all of the things that we know about that are very common, hypertension, you know, high blood pressure, reducing the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, ensuring that our diets and of course, our physical activity are all calibrated. And I’ve always had this belief that every 10 years, we have to sort of make the adjustment in terms of you can’t eat in your 30s what you used to eat in your 20s, right?
And about every 10 years, but the problem is if you keep eating into your 30s and your 40s the way that we did in our teenage years where, you know, nothing accumulates, well, then that’s where the curves don’t really adjust because our metabolism is changing. So that’s one thing is how are we recalibrating as our own internal processes are recalibrating so that we’re in sync with that. I think that genetics plays a big part of it.
And I do find that many a time I will see patients and talk to others that are living into their 90s and their parents did. And so there is, I do believe some genetic component in terms of aging, that is a determinant on top of those risk factors. So there is the nurture and nature component that I think go hand in hand that we do have an overall responsibility.
And then certainly our environment and our epigenetics do play a role in terms of how we age. And I think a big part of it, of course, is not just the physical health, but I think a big part of it is our mental health in terms of ensuring dementia and Alzheimer’s are a big deal in terms of aging and how we remain, our cognitive skills remain even along with the physical. And I think that that’s where the human connection and continuing to retain what we’re doing cognitively in terms of engaging in activities that stimulate our brain to stay active are very important.
And that is, bodes well for the argument of why staying engaged in some kind of cognitive activity, job-related, can help that overall health. So I think it’s multifaceted.
Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network
It’s amazing, Dr. And I do have to run, but I’ll just say, I’ll close out by saying, it’s amazing how much is actually in our control versus not in our control. Yeah. And I think it makes the case for what we were talking about earlier, which is maybe extending the retirement age, although probably voluntarily is probably where, you know, we don’t do too well in this country, but probably voluntarily.
And I think maybe, hopefully this discussion will help people kind of reposition that line of thinking. Dr. Potarazu, so great to see you. Thanks for joining us.
We look forward to having you back on the program again very soon.
Sreedhar Potarazu MD, AECC
That sounds good. Thanks for having me on. Appreciate it.