JONESBORO, Ark. – Dr. David A. Lipschitz, a world-renowned geriatrician at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), will discuss his new book, Breaking the Rules of Aging, Friday, Oct. 18, in Jonesboro.

His presentation will be 9:30-11:30 a.m. in the auditorium at St. Bernard’s Hospital, 505 E. Washington Ave. It is free and open to the public. Copies of his book will be available for purchase and signing by Lipschitz at the lecture. For more information, call (870) 933-6595.
 

In Breaking the Rules of Aging (LifeLine Press, $24.95), Lipschitz shatters the medical misconceptions that most people – including many physicians – have about the aging process. Here is a sampling of these myths:

* Myth: Older adults should not be overweight.
Despite studies showing that a thin physique increases longevity, Lipschitz says that older adults should be a little heavy after retirement.

* Myth: Heart tests and treatments will save the lives of senior citizens.
According to Lipschitz, most stress tests and procedures for coronary artery disease are performed on people who do not need them, and these procedures can be more dangerous than the disease itself. He also notes that 50 percent of heart attacks are caused by blocked blood vessels that appear normal on angiograms.

* Myth: Sex drive decreases with age.
Disease, not age, causes a decline in sex drive, Lipschitz says. A disease can be treated, thereby making sex drive stronger than ever.

* Myth: Walking is the perfect exercise for older adults.
While Lipschitz admits that there is nothing wrong with walking, he says that older people also need to perform some type of “tough exercise,” such as lifting weights.

* Myth: People become weaker and more frail with age.
Although older adults do have less muscle mass than younger folks, Lipschitz says that people who stay physically active throughout life will always be strong enough to pursue their interests.

* Myth: Memory worsens with age.
According to Lipschitz, “benign forgetfulness” – such as forgetting where the car keys are – happens to everyone over 40. However, significant memory loss is not an inevitable consequence of aging. It is caused by disease, specific medications, depression and other disorders. With the right program, most people can stay mentally sharp into their 80s, 90s and beyond.

* Myth: Physicians know the proper dosages of medicines for their older patients.
Most physicians do not realize that older adults respond to drugs in dramatically different ways than younger people, Lipschitz says. Older patients metabolize drugs much more slowly and are likely to have unsafe concentrations of active drugs in their bodies.

* Myth: After menopause, there is no reason to worry about condom use or safe sex.
Studies show that 93 percent of adults never use condoms. At the same time, sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise among older adults; 10 percent of people over 50 are at high risk of contracting such diseases.

Lipschitz – a native of Johannesburg, South Africa – joined UAMS in 1978 and began conducting research into the effects of aging on nutrition and on the blood and bone marrow. He has received long-standing grant support from the National Institute on Aging and is recognized as one of the premier experts in this field.

Lipschitz became director of the UAMS aging center in 1995. He played a central role in UAMS acquiring a gift of $30.2 million from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to establish the center and the Donald W. Reynolds Department of Geriatrics in the UAMS College of Medicine and to build a facility to house the program. He is chairman of this department, which is only the second of its kind in the country.

Under his leadership, the geriatrics department has a faculty of 45 scientists who have developed an array of outstanding clinical, education and research programs. The total federal grant support for these programs exceeds $50 million. U.S. News & World Report magazine currently ranks the department in the top 10 in the nation.

His peers have consistently recognized Lipschitz by voting him into the Best Doctors in America directory. In addition to Aging Successfully with Dr. David on PBS, he has appeared on The Today Show on NBC and has given numerous lectures nationally and internationally. His unique ability to explain health issues to the general public in a warm, humorous and upbeat manner makes him a much-sought-after speaker.