Q Ive been reading about peo

Q. I’ve been reading about peopie who live to be over 100. Is there a way to predict how long a person will live? I am 68 and just curious, and hopeful

- B.G.

Dear B.G.:

As you probably know, each person ages at his or her own rate. And that rate depends on a person’s genetics and lifestyle.

Dr. Thomas Pens of Harvard University, director of the New England Centenarian Study, has conducted extensive research on centenarians since 1992. His book, Living to 100 (Basic Books, $16), co-authored by Margery Hutter Silver, was published in 2000.

Pens and his colleagues designed the Life Expectancy Calculator based on what has been learned from his study and other longevity research. The Calculator requires the answers to more than 20 questions - a bit long for one column. I have selected almost half of the items for today, and will continue with the remainder in my next column.

Instead of trying to predict how many years YOU will live, let’s just review some of the items and the

rationale behind them. Answer the following questions,

yes or no, as they apply to you:

1. Do you smoke or chew tobacco, or are you around alot of secondhand smoke?

2. Do you eat more than a couple of hot dogs, slices of bacon or a bologna sandwich a week?

3. Do you generally eat a lot of fatty foods?

4. Do you drink more than 1 to 2 drinks a day?

5. Do air pollution warnings occur where you live?

6. Do you dnink more than 16 ounces of coffee a day?

7. Do you take an aspirin a day? &Do you floss your teeth every day? Here is some information regarding each question:

1.We all are aware of the relationship between cigarette

smoke and disease. Here are some reasons: Cigarette smoke contains toxins that directly damage our lungs and can cause cancer. Cigarettes contain nitrosamines that are potent oxidants and carcinogens. They speed the aging process and age-related diseases that go with it.

2. Some studies that suggest that 90 percent of cancers are caused by the environment. (Note, this reflects just one segment of the research community; other studies suggest different causes.)

Many say 30 percent to 40 percent of cancers are induced by diet. Nitrates, present in cured meat, can lead to the formation of nitrosamines that, again, are oxidants and carcinogens.

3. High-protein diets with lots of fat have been connected to increased risk of certain types of cancers. (Atklns Diet foIk may disagree.) These foods may be an inefficient source of energy that causes

free radicals to form. Free radicals alter cells and, according to some, accelerate the aglng process.

4.A moderate amount of alcohol has been connected to a decreased risk of heart disease. The French love foods that are high in saturated fats, yet they are at lower nisk for heart disease than Amenicans are. The missing piece? The French drink more wine than we do.

5. Air pollution can be one possible cause of cancer and contains those nasty oxidants that accelerate the aging process.

6. Often drinking too much coffee is a sign of stress. And stress can cause the release of hormones, such as cortisol, that can diminish the efficiency of our immune system.

7. Research has indicated that taking a baby aspirin a day may decrease the risk of heart disease. (This is not advice, just a report.) This may be because aspirin can prevent blood clots.

8. Some recent research suggests that chronic gum disease leads to the release of toxins and bacteria into the bloodstream. These may play a role in forming plaque in the arteries, leading to heart disease.

No single item is a predictor of longevity, but there are some clues about what we can do to live a healthy life and increase our chances of even living a long one. And of course, let’s not forget our seat belts.

B.G., thank you for your good question. More to come on the subject.