Good behavior: Adults 72 and older who smoke less and exercise more than their peers are more likely to enjoy long, healthy and happy lives, say researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

        Researchers led by Dr. Eva Kahana followed 1,000 adults ages 72 to 98 for nine years to study their health behaviors. All of the participants lived in retirement communities and were free of major mental and physical illness. Information was collected through interviews on smoking and exercise patterns, physical health and psychological well-being. The interviews were repeated yearly.

        By the end of the study, more than a third of the participants had either died or were too ill to continue.

        A comparison of subjects showed that those who exercised the most were far more likely to live longer than those who hadn't, regardless of other health problems. The study also showed that smokers were twice as likely to die before the study ended as non-smokers.

        The study appeared in the May/June issue of Psychosomatic Medicine and was funded by the National Institute on Aging.

Calendar

        Benefit walk: Registration is open for the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association 2002 Memory Walk to raise funds for chapter services and programs. Walks are scheduled as follows: Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Oct. 6; Adams County and Highland County, Sept. 7; Brown County, Sept. 14; Butler/Warren Counties, Sept. 21; Indiana Memory Walk, Sept. 21; Carroll County, Ky., and Portsmouth, Sept. 28. Registration/information: Annemarie Barnett, 721-4284 Ext. 119 or e-mail annemarie.barnett@alz.org.

Nutrition

        Bad fad: Despite all the “low-carb/no-carb” weight-loss plans out there, diets high in carbohydrates tend to be lower in calories and higher in nutrients than other plans, says a new study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

        People whose diets are high in carbohydrates are also more likely to be in the normal weight range for their age and height, the study says.

        The USDA collected diet information from more than 10,000 adults across the country, and divided the data by levels of carbohydrate intake: less than 30 percent; 30 to 45 percent; 45 to 55 percent; and more than 55 percent.

        Adults who ate the highest amount of carbs consumed up to 300 calories less per day while eating the same amount of food, mostly due to increased dietary fiber and water content of high-carb foods.

        The study appears in this month's Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Shelf help

        Ticking: The 24-Hour Turnaround (ReganBooks; $26.95) by exercise physiologist Jay Williams emphasizes a combination of positive thinking, exercise, diet and nutrition, sleep, hormone balance and meditation to help readers lose weight and slow aging.
       @T3Sub:Siting @ColText:Spin: Can't get enough of those flying discs? Check out www.discsports.com for information on all things disc: golf, dogs, ultimate, freestyle and more. The site also features games, scorecards and merchandise.

       Contact Peggy O'Farrell by phone: 768-8510; fax: 768-8330; e-mail: pofarrell@enquirer.com.

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