The IAA One Minute Blog

New research suggests that hydration could hold the key to longevity.

Hydration and Your Health

The new research discovered older adults who are properly hydrated may be healthier and live longer than those who are not.

For the study, researchers tracked data over three decades on more than 11,200 adults who took part in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. Participants were seen over five visits—two in their fifties, and the last between the ages of 70 and 90.

To judge how well hydrated they were, the researchers looked at levels of salt in the blood, gleaning information on systolic blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. Levels of sodium were a proxy for hydration because higher concentrations are a sign that participants were likely not consuming enough fluids.

Those markers in turn, indicated how well the cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, renal, and immune systems were functioning.

The study participants all had blood-sodium concentrations within the normal range: 135 to 146 millimoles per liter. But the findings suggested that people with levels at the higher end of that normal range –above 144 millimoles per liter- had 50 percent higher odds of being biologically older than their chronological age and 21 percent higher odds of dying early. They were also more likely to suffer from chronic conditions. High levels of salt were also linked to a 64 percent increased risk of developing heart failure, stroke, atrial fibrillation, and artery disease, as well as lung disease, diabetes, and dementia, the researchers found.

The study cannot say that staying hydrated has all these benefits, only that they seemed to be linked, the researchers noted.

The study was released by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The report was published in the journal, eBioMedicine.

Stay Hydrated

Hydration requirements can be met through the consumption of certain foods (such as fruits and vegetables) in addition to beverages. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), staying hydrated does have known health benefits:

• Helps maintain normal body temperature
• Prevents constipation
• Prevents kidney stones
• Wards off joint pain

The average adult in the United States drinks more than five cups of water a day, according to the CDC.

What IAA has to Say

Staying hydrated is important! Insurance Administrator of America is here to remind you that something so small can go a long way. Remember, with IAA one call does it all.

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