Adding 8 Healthy Habits to Extend Your Lifespan: Insights from a Study

Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in the United States, accounting for over 80% of all healthcare costs. These diseases are often preventable, and lifestyle factors play a major role in their development. Lifestyle medicine is an emerging field that focuses on using evidence-based lifestyle interventions to prevent, treat, and even reverse chronic diseases. Xuan-Mai Nguyen and colleagues, as part of the Million Veteran Program, found that adopting eight healthy habits at age 40 can potentially add up to 24 years to one's life. This study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, aimed to investigate the association between individual and combined lifestyle factors and mortality risk, as well as estimate the potential increase in life expectancy associated with adopting a healthy lifestyle.

KeyPoints

1. Eight Magical Healthy Habits: Adopting these habits, including exercise, diet, sleep, and stress management, can significantly extend your lifespan.

2. Longevity Benefits: A single healthy habit at 40 can add up to 4.5 years for men and 3.5 years for women; all eight habits may extend life by 25 years.

3. Synergistic Impact: Combined habits don't just add up; they synergize, potentially boosting lifespan more than the sum of individual habits.

4. Massive Mortality Reduction: Embracing all eight habits leads to an 87% reduction in all-cause mortality compared to adopting none.

5. Crucial Factors: Exercise tops the list, cutting mortality risk by 46%, followed by avoiding opioids (38%) and quitting smoking (29%).

6. Stress and Diet: Managing stress reduces early death by 22%, while a plant-based diet contributes to a 21% longer life.

7. Alcohol and Sleep: Limiting alcohol cuts death risk by 19%, while quality sleep reduces it by 18%.

8. Social Connections: Positive relationships increase lifespans by 5%, underscoring their importance for overall well-being.

The 20-Year Window for Positive Changes

Lead study author Xuan-Mai Nguyen, a health science specialist for the Million Veteran Program at the VA Boston Healthcare System, highlights the importance of making healthy changes within 20 years, whether gradually or all at once. The study's intriguing aspect is that these changes can still be beneficial even if one starts with chronic diseases. This article investigates the association between lifestyle factors, mortality risk, and longevity in a large cohort of veterans. The study finds that adopting a combination of eight low-risk lifestyle factors is associated with a significantly lower risk of premature mortality and an estimated prolonged life expectancy.

Key findings:

• The study included data from 276,132 veterans who were followed for an average of 4 years.

• Participants who adopted more low-risk lifestyle factors were more likely to be male, have a higher level of education and income, and be less likely to be obese or black.

• Each individual low-risk lifestyle factor was associated with a reduced risk of mortality.

• Adopting all eight low-risk lifestyle factors was estimated to prolong life expectancy at age 40 by 24.0 years for male veterans and 20.5 years for female veterans.

• The specific lifestyle factors included in the study were:

  • Never smoking

  • Physical activity

  • No excessive alcohol consumption

  • Restorative sleep

  • Nutrition

  • Stress management

  • Social Connections

  • No opioid use disorder

Implications:

This study provides strong evidence that lifestyle medicine can play a major role in preventing premature death and promoting longevity. The findings suggest that interventions that help people adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle habits could have a significant impact on public health.

Future research:

The study authors call for further research to investigate the mechanisms by which lifestyle factors influence mortality and longevity. They also suggest that future studies should focus on developing and testing interventions to help people adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle habits.

Impact of Healthy Habits on Lifespan

The study revealed that adopting even a single healthy behavior at age 40 could increase a man's life by 4.5 years. The benefits are further compounded with the adoption of more healthy habits, potentially adding up to almost 25 years of extra life. For women, the results were equally impressive. Embracing just one healthy behavior extended a woman's life by 3.5 years, while adopting all eight healthy habits increased their lifespan by an astonishing 22.6 years.

Synergy of Healthy Habits

The study emphasized that the benefits of adopting these healthy habits are not simply additive. Instead, they have a synergistic effect, boosting the impact on one's lifespan. Even implementing small changes in one's 40s, 50s, or 60s can be beneficial and attainable for the general population.

An 87% Reduction in All-Cause Mortality

After accounting for various factors such as age, body mass index, sex, race, ethnicity, marital status, education level, and family income, the study found an 87% relative reduction in all-cause mortality for individuals who adopted all eight lifestyle factors compared to those who adopted none.

The Importance of Diversity in the Study

The study's strength lies in its diverse population representation by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. However, as the study focused on veterans who were retired and not on active duty or attending military training, the findings may not be entirely applicable to the general population.

Ranking the Lifestyle Choices

The study ranked the eight lifestyle behaviors based on their impact on longevity. Exercise emerged as the most crucial factor, leading to a 46% decrease in the risk of death from any cause compared to those who did not exercise.

Exercise: - Key to Better Health

Experts have long touted the benefits of exercise for overall health. Engaging in extreme sports is unnecessary to reap these benefits; even moderate activities can have a significant positive impact.

Steering Clear of opiates

The study highlighted the dangers of opioid addiction, with not becoming addicted to opioids contributing significantly to a longer life, reducing the risk of early death by 38%.

Quitting Tobacco for Better Health

Never using tobacco or quitting smoking at any point in life confers major health benefits, reducing the risk of death by 29%.

Managing Stress for Improved Well-being

Managing stress effectively is crucial for overall well-being. It was found to reduce early death by 22%, underscoring the importance of addressing stress in today's fast-paced world.

Embracing a Plant-Based Diet

Eating a plant-based diet, such as the Mediterranean diet rich in whole grains and leafy green vegetables, can increase the chances of living a longer life by 21%.

Avoiding Binge Drinking

Limiting alcohol consumption, including binge drinking, reduces the risk of death by 19%. The rising trend of binge drinking in the US warrants attention to protect overall health.

Quality Sleep Matters

Getting sufficient sleep, defined as seven to nine hours a night with no insomnia, can reduce early death from any cause by 18%. Prioritizing sleep is essential for optimal health.

Social Connections for Longevity

Positive social relationships play a vital role in longevity, contributing to a 5% increase in one's lifespan. Combating loneliness and isolation becomes imperative, particularly among older adults.

Conclusion

The study's findings emphasize the importance of healthy lifestyle choices to enhance longevity. Whether it's exercise, diet, stress management, or fostering positive social relationships, each healthy habit contributes to a longer and healthier life. Making these changes, even gradually, can be attainable for the general population, offering the potential to add valuable years to one's life.

Reference Article

Nguyen, X. T., Li, Y., Wang, D. D., Whitbourne, S. B., Houghton, S. C., Hu, F. B., Willett, W. C., Sun, Y. V., Djoussé, L., Gaziano, J. M., Cho, K., & Wilson, P. W. (2023, December 1). Impact of 8 lifestyle factors on mortality and life expectancy among United States veterans: The Million Veteran Program. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.10.032

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