Moderate exercise and positive social relationships are two of the habits associated with longer lives
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If you’re above the age of 40, these are eight healthy practises that could add approximately two decades to your life. Having these eight habits by the time you’re 60 lessens the impact, but it’s still there.
Researchers led by Xuan-Mai Nguyen of the VA Boston Healthcare System surveyed over 700,000 US veterans aged 40 to 99 about their lifestyle habits such exercise, food, sleep, mental health, relationships, and alcohol consumption. Between 2011 and 2019, participants filled out a survey about their habits, which the researchers then compared to information from their medical files.
Over the course of the study’s eight years, 33,375 people passed away. Researchers showed that even after accounting for age, socioeconomic level, and race, there were still eight behaviours that were significantly linked to a reduced risk of death throughout this time period. These included not smoking, never having smoked, not having an opioid use disorder, getting plenty of sleep, and eating healthily and exercising regularly.
Life expectancy was primarily affected by physical exercise. The risk of dying throughout the eight-year period was 46% lower among those who engaged in moderate activity, defined as at least briskly walking a few blocks each day.
The risk of dying during the study period was lowered by 38% among those who had no history of opioid use disorder compared to those who did, and by 29% among those who had never smoked compared to current or past smokers.
The risk of dying during that time period was reduced by roughly 20% among those who followed a healthy diet consisting primarily of whole, plant-based foods and who practised stress management, as measured by a low score on an assessment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The same was true for alcohol moderation, which was defined as no more than four drinks per day, and for getting an adequate amount of sleep each night (between 7 and 9 hours). The protective effect of close friendships was the smallest, reducing mortality risk by about 5% during the study period.
Using this data, Nguyen and her team predicted how long people would live if they adopted all eight habits by the time they were 40 years old. When compared to people who didn’t embrace any intervention, men and women’s lifespans would increase by nearly 24 and 23 years, respectively. Participants of both sexes may add 18 years to their lives if they began taking action by age 60.
None of these eight lifestyle choices need taking any kind of medicine. According to Nguyen, who presented these findings at the American Society for Nutrition conference on July 24 in Boston, doctors aren’t always necessary. To paraphrase the author, “That is very powerful because it shows that individuals really can have a say over their future [health].”
But Northwestern University’s Jenny Jia in Illinois claims it’s not always so clear-cut. “There can be barriers at the community level, the environmental level, or the policy level to adopting some of these lifestyle behaviours,” she explains. For instance, low-income communities may lack access to nutritious food options because these foods are typically more expensive and time-consuming to prepare.
Nguyen emphasises that it is essential to keep in mind that the study was observational, and hence only discovered relationships. That the practises themselves contribute to a longer life span is not a given.
FAQs
1. What is the significance of the research on healthy habits and longevity?
The research on over 700,000 US veterans revealed eight healthy habits linked to a reduced risk of death, potentially adding decades to one’s life without medication.
2. What are the eight healthy habits for a longer life?
The eight habits include not smoking, never having smoked, no history of opioid use disorder, getting sufficient sleep, eating healthily, exercising regularly, stress management, and alcohol moderation.
3. How does physical exercise impact life expectancy?
Engaging in moderate activity, such as brisk walking daily, lowers the risk of dying by 46% over an eight-year period compared to those less active.
4. What are the benefits of following a healthy diet and stress management?
A healthy diet consisting mainly of whole, plant-based foods and stress management, as measured by low PTSD scores, reduces the risk of death by roughly 20% during the study period.
5. How much can adopting all eight habits increase life expectancy?
Embracing all eight habits by age 40 may increase men and women’s lifespans by nearly 24 and 23 years, respectively, compared to those who do not adopt any interventions.
