Doctors in Hawaii say staying independent as you age depends on protecting your eyes, joints, and brain now — good news for anyone willing to act early.

• Healthy aging means keeping both body and brain working, and it starts at whatever age you are today.
• Cataracts are the top cause of vision loss with age, and losing your sight often means losing the ability to drive.
• Families struggle to take the car keys away from older relatives, so doctors are sometimes asked to deliver that news.
• Avoiding injury is the key to protecting joints, because injuries put you on the road to arthritis.
• Once people drop an activity because it feels too hard, it is very tough to start again — so address aches early.

Outlook: Expect more emphasis on early screening and staying active as the population keeps getting older.