Healthy aging isn't simply a roll of the dice. But it also doesn't happen by accident. How people age is a choice. Mayo Clinic on Healthy Aging, 2nd Edition, discusses the biology of aging -- why we age and how to slow the aging process. It delves into common health and lifestyle concerns and outlines steps that readers can take to enjoy longer and more purposeful lives.

Researchers are finding that genes play a smaller role in overall health than most individuals realize. More often, the life people lead in their later years is a culmination of personal attitudes, decisions made, and actions taken beginning in young adulthood. The book covers a variety of topics including responding to personal risks, how to challenge the brain and body, healthy diet, physical activity, resiliency, retirement planning and living a fulfilling life. Readers also will find practical tips to keep their minds, bodies and spirits in top shape. Think of this book as an instruction manual that provides the tools needed to live life to its maximum -- ensuring that the later years are some of the best years.

The advice comes from a wide range of Mayo Clinic specialists, including staff of Mayo Clinic's Kogod Center on Aging. Discoveries being made by scientists at the Kogod Center suggest that aging may be a modifiable risk factor -- a process that can be controlled. The Center's efforts are focused on the goal of increasing human "health span" -- the number of years individuals spend living independently and remaining free of age-related diseases and disabilities.