A new study of more than 700,000 US veterans reports that people who adopt eight healthy lifestyle habits in middle age can expect to live significantly longer than those who have few or none of these habits. The eight habits are: being physically active, not having an opioid addiction, not smoking, managing stress, having a good diet, not drinking regularly, having good sleep hygiene and having positive social relationships.
According to the results, men who have all eight habits at age 40 are expected to live an average of 24 years longer than men who have none of these habits. For women, having all eight healthy lifestyle factors in middle age was associated with a predicted 21 additional years of life compared to women with none of these habits.
We were really surprised at how much could be gained by adopting one, two, three or all eight lifestyle factors. Our research findings suggest that adopting a healthy lifestyle is important for both public health and personal well-being. The sooner the better, but even if you just make a small change in your 40s, 50s or 60s, it’s still beneficial.”
Xuan-Mai T. Nguyen, Department of Veterans Affairs health scientist and fourth-year medical student at Carle Illinois College of Medicine
Nguyen will present the findings at NUTRITION 2023, the American Society for Nutrition’s flagship annual meeting taking place July 22-25 in Boston.
For the study, the scientists used data from medical records and questionnaires collected between 2011 and 2019 from 719,147 people enrolled in the Veterans Affairs Million Veteran program, a large, nationally representative study of American veterans. The analysis included data from adults aged 40 to 99 and included 33,375 deaths during follow-up.
Overall, the results showed that low physical activity, opioid use, and smoking had the greatest impact on lifespan; these factors were associated with an approximately 30-45% higher risk of death during the study period. Stress, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet, and poor sleep hygiene were each associated with an approximately 20% increased risk of death, and a lack of positive social relationships was associated with a 5% increased risk of death.
According to the researchers, the findings underscore the role of lifestyle factors in contributing to chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease that lead to disability and premature death. The findings also help quantify the extent to which making healthy lifestyle choices can help people reduce their risk of these diseases and live longer.
“Lifestyle medicine aims to treat the underlying causes of chronic diseases rather than their symptoms,” Nguyen said. “It provides a potential avenue to alter the course of ever-increasing health care costs resulting from prescription drugs and surgical procedures.”
The estimated gain in life expectancy from adopting the eight factors of a healthy lifestyle decreased slightly with age, but remained significant, meaning that adopting healthier habits later in life can still help you live longer. “It’s never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle,” Nguyen said.
As an observational study, the research does not definitively prove causation, Nguyen noted. However, the findings align with a growing body of research supporting the role of lifestyle factors in preventing chronic disease and promoting healthy aging.
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