As average life expectancy rises, what does it take to age well? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 23, 2026 · 51 MIN

As average life expectancy rises, what does it take to age well?

from Sound of Ideas · host Ideastream Public Media

As a country, we're living longer than ever before. The average life expectancy in the United States is now 79 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But how are we doing when we get to our golden years? In Ohio, the answer is not necessarily the best, according to the latest America's Health Rankings Senior Report. This study from The United Health Foundation ranked Ohio 36th in the country in overall health for seniors. Some major concerns include suicide rates, drug related deaths, poverty and food insecurity concerns and levels of physical activity. When you add in concerns about mental function and emotional wellbeing, there's a lot to think about as we age. On Tuesday's edition of the "Sound of Ideas," we're looking at what we can do in our younger years to try to maintain our mental, emotional and physical health for as long as our bodies will let us. Guests: - Gary Grosel, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, UnitedHealthcare of Ohio - Lester Carney, age 92, Olympic athlete who won a silver medal in the 200-meter dash at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy - Robert Bermel, M.D., Staff Neurologist, Neurological Institute's Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis at Cleveland Clinic - Roopa Anmolsingh, M.D., Lead Geriatrician for Community Programs, Cleveland Clinic

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 23, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

As average life expectancy rises, what does it take to age well?

0:00 51:14

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Sound of Ideas?

This episode is 51 minutes long.

When was this Sound of Ideas episode published?

This episode was published on June 23, 2026.

Can I download this Sound of Ideas episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!