A recent study conducted on the lifestyles of 700,000 Americans has yielded compelling results, highlighting the profound impact of adopting a set of eight healthy habits by the age of 40 on one’s longevity.
The research revealed that men who embraced all eight of these enjoyed an extended lifespan of approximately 24 years compared to those who practiced none of them.
At the same time, women who also practiced these habits added around 21 years to their lives.
These eight pivotal habits were as follows: regular physical activity, avoidance of opioid addiction, abstaining from smoking, effective stress management, maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet, not regularly binge drinking, having good sleep hygiene, and nurturing positive social relationships.
Given that these eight habits may not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with health recommendations, the magnitude of the study outcome – a 24-year extension of life expectancy – does show major significance on the importance of these basic health habits.
Study author, Dr Xuan-Mai Nguyen, of the Department of Veterans Affairs at Carle Illinois College of Medicine, emphasized exactly that point.
“We were really surprised by just how much could be gained with the adoption of one, two, three, or all eight lifestyle factors,” said Dr. Ngyen, adding, “Our research findings suggest… the earlier the better, but even if you only make a small change in your 40s, 50s, or 60s, it still is beneficial.”
The team took data from medical records and questionnaires collected between 2011 to 2019 from at least 719,147 people who were enrolled in the Veterans Affairs Million Veteran Program.
The study analysis included data from adults between the ages of 40 to 99 and also included 33,375 deaths during follow-up.
They found that low physical activity, opioid use and smoking were the highest contributors to a person’s lifespan, with around a 30% to 45% higher risk of death.
In addition, stress, binge drinking, poor diet, and poor sleep hygiene were individually associated with around 20% risk of death.
Then a lack of positive social relationships came next at an associated 5% increase.
The study findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Boston, Massachusetts, emphasizing the role of lifestyle factors in contributing to particular chronic diseases, like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
According to Dr. Nguyen, “Lifestyle medicine is aimed at treating the underlying causes of chronic diseases rather than their symptoms. It provides a potential avenue for altering the course of ever-increasing health care costs resulting from prescription medicine and surgical procedures.”
Notably, Dr. Nguyen emphasized that it is never too late to embark on a healthier lifestyle journey. And this also rings true for those who are already leading healthy lifestyles.
In a comprehensive lifestyle intervention trial involving middle-aged men, just eight weeks of targeted lifestyle adjustments, like deep-breathing exercises and the introduction of phytonutrient supplements, already managed to roll back their biological clocks by an impressive 3 years.
Recommended For You
