Seventy: The Narrow Bridge Between Time and Eternity

 

Seventy: The Narrow Bridge Between Time and Eternity

Seventy is a profound milestone in human life. From almost every perspective , biological, medical, social, and philosophical, crossing the age of seventy marks entry into what humanity has long called “old age.” It is not merely a number, but a threshold. Like a magnificent sunset approaching the horizon, life at seventy glows with memory, colour, and meaning, while quietly reminding us that daylight is finite.

Public demographic data tell us that only about four in ten people will pass their seventieth birthday and live on toward eighty. To reach seventy is already an achievement; to advance beyond it is to walk a narrowing ridge where resilience, wisdom, and fortune intertwine.

The Difficult Decade: Seventy to Eighty

The decade between seventy and eighty is often the most demanding period of later life. Aging accelerates. Every organ system, whether cardiovascular, neurological, musculoskeletal, or immune system will  continues an irreversible process of wear, not unlike a well-used machine that still runs, but more slowly and with increasing fragility.

During this time, chronic illnesses emerge or worsen, and the immune system becomes less responsive and more erratic. Minor infections linger longer; major illnesses may appear suddenly. This is not personal failure, but  it is the biology of ageing.

Neurologically and physically, reaction times slow, balance weakens, and coordination declines. Falls, choking, dizziness, and simple household accidents become serious threats. A single misstep can alter the trajectory of life permanently.

Equally profound, and often more painful, is the emotional aging that accompanies the physical. Friends, classmates, colleagues, comrades, and siblings of the same generation begin to disappear, one by one. The social circle contracts. Conversations become fewer. Loneliness quietly grows, even in the presence of family.

For some, hearing fades, memory fragments, and independence weakens. The fear of becoming a burden weighs heavily on the elderly, often more than illness itself. Prolonged bed rest, dependency, and loss of dignity are among the most deeply human anxieties of this stage of life.

Indeed, old age is not a peaceful meadow for everyone. For many, it is a storm, sometimes silent, sometimes violent. To acknowledge this truth is not pessimism; it is realism tempered with compassion.

Redefining Victory in Old Age

Yet perspective matters. If a person reaches seventy and steps onto the road toward eighty, that person is already fortunate. If one reaches seventy-five, one has crossed halfway through the most difficult decade of life and has essentially achieved the average life expectancy of many nations.

To complete the journey to eighty is a remarkable human victory. It is like reaching a base camp after a long and treacherous climb. From there, one may choose to rest, to reminisce, or even to continue upward,  but without illusion or pressure.

The pursuit of ninety or a hundred years need not be an obsession. Longevity without quality is not triumph. What matters is not how long we live, but how consciously, meaningfully, and peacefully we inhabit the days that remain.

What We Still Can Control

Time does not return. The future cannot be guaranteed. But there remains one sovereign domain that even old age cannot steal from us: how we live today.

Do not regret yesterday.
Do not gamble recklessly with tomorrow.
Cherish today,  fully, deliberately, gratefully.

If today you can still eat and walk, then eat food you enjoy in moderation. Walk where beauty still exists, even slowly. Say what was left unsaid. Fulfill the small wishes postponed for decades. Presence matters more than plans.

Hold firmly to life, but do not cling fearfully. Leave as few regrets as possible. Encourage one another. Walk together through this final stretch with dignity, courage, and kindness.

Caloric Restriction, Longevity, and Ageing: What Science Tells Us. 

Modern science has provided intriguing insights into ageing, particularly through studies on caloric restriction (CR), the practice of reducing calorie intake without malnutrition.

Across multiple species,  yeast, worms, flies, rodents, and primates,  caloric restriction has consistently been shown to extend lifespan and delay age-related diseases. In humans, long-term CR does not yet conclusively prove lifespan extension, but strong evidence suggests improvements in health span, including:

Reduced cardiovascular risk, improved insulin sensitivity, lower inflammation, improved lipid profiles, slower metabolic ageing

Mechanistically, caloric restriction influences key biological pathways such as:

mTOR inhibition, AMPK activation, improved mitochondrial efficiency, reduced oxidative stress, and enhanced autophagy.

Importantly for the elderly, aggressive caloric restriction is not advisable. Instead, the evidence supports gentle, intelligent moderation:

Avoid overeating

Reduce refined sugars and ultra-processed foods

Maintain adequate protein to prevent sarcopenia

Focus on nutrient density rather than calorie counting

In short, eat less, but better , and never at the expense of strength, immunity, or joy.

Finally, my feeling is, old age is not a failure of life; it is life revealed without illusion. To reach seventy is to earn the right to speak honesty about life and our life span in this world, its fragility and the meaning of our existence here. To walk towards eighty is an act of quite heroism.  
On this note let me tell you about my late and only son - Benjamin Lim Chong Minn who was born on Christmas eve this day - 24 December, 1979  (today is Christmas Eve), and left this world this year in June at the age of 46. He didn't even managed to reach seventy. He complained of chest pain on February 25 or 26 this year.  He rang his uncle Professor Dr Lim Yew Cheng who is my youngest brother - a Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon about his chest pain. His uncle called him to come immediately to see him, but he did not. Months passed from neglect, and he probably suffered a cardiac arrest while cycling up a hill with his team of cyclist friends, and collapsed. Cycling was his only hobby he enjoyed to reduce stress working as a computer controller for Maybank in its headquarters. He was extremely lucky to pass away peacefully while enjoying his only hobby. 

If the age of Earth in creation at 4.54 billion years old (4.54 x 10^9), is scaled down to a day (24 hours, or 86,400 seconds), then 46 years of my son's life lasted only approximately 0.000875 seconds in the 24-hour creative day timeline. This teeny-tiny flash in time of our lifespans  holds true for everyone reading this. There is no escape for anyone, and yet we invest in a lot of properties here in this world hoping to carry them into eternity.  

Finally, do you think that exercise, cycling and jogging is good for health? Think again. I have answered that on Wednesday, July 10, 2024 here:  

https://scientificlogic.blogspot.com/search?q=jogging

But no one reads and appreciate whatever I write.  

My massage to everyone is:   

1. Encourage one another.
2. Walk slowly, but walk.
3. Eat simply, but enjoy.
4. Remember deeply.
5. Love gently.
6. Leave peacefully.

 

Further Reading

1. Fontana L, Partridge L, Longo VD. Extending healthy life span—from yeast to humans. Science, 2010.

2. Mattison JA et al. Caloric restriction improves health and survival of rhesus monkeys. Nature Communications, 2017.

3. Longo VD, Anderson RM. Nutrition, longevity and disease. Cell, 2022.

4. Sinclair DA, LaPlante MD. Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don’t Have To. HarperCollins, 2019.

5. López-Otín C et al. The hallmarks of aging. Cell, 2013.