Lifestyle changes for longer life: Eight Anti-aging lifestyle habits could add decades to your life, says a large study

A recent study conducted with over 700,000 U.S. veterans has concluded that individuals who incorporate these eight anti-aging lifestyle habits by middle age could significantly outlive those who adopt few or none of these habits.

The eight healthy habits for longevity include: staying physically active, avoiding opioid addiction, refraining from smoking, managing stress effectively, maintaining a healthy diet, not indulging in frequent binge drinking, practicing good sleep hygiene, and fostering positive social relationships.

Healthy Habits for Middle age

Based on the research findings, men who adhere to all eight practices at the age of 40 could anticipate living an average of 24 years longer than men who don’t follow any of these habits.

Similarly, women who embrace all eight lifestyle changes in their middle age could expect 21 extra years of life compared to those women who don’t follow any of these habits.

“We were really surprised by just how much could be gained with the adoption of one, two, three, or all eight lifestyle factors,” commented Xuan-Mai T. Nguyen, health science specialist at the Department of Veterans Affairs and an upcoming fourth-year medical student at Carle Illinois College of Medicine.

“Our research findings suggest that adopting a healthy lifestyle is important for both public health and personal wellness. The earlier the better, but even if you only make a small change in your 40s, 50s, or 60s, it still is beneficial.”

New Research on lifestyle and longevity

To conduct the study, the research team analyzed data from medical records and questionnaires obtained between 2011-2019 from 719,147 individuals enrolled in the Veterans Affairs Million Veteran Program, a comprehensive study of U.S. veterans.

The dataset incorporated information from adults aged 40-99 and included 33,375 deaths during the monitoring period.

Can changing your lifestyle in middle age still add years to your life?

Notably, the study identified low physical activity, opioid use, and smoking as factors with the greatest impact on lifespan; these elements were linked with a 30-45% heightened risk of death during the investigation period.

Stress, binge drinking, an unhealthy diet, and poor sleep hygiene were each tied to a roughly 20% surge in mortality risk, while the absence of positive social relationships correlated with a 5% increased mortality risk.

The study results emphasize the profound influence of lifestyle choices on the development of chronic ailments like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, which can lead to early disability and mortality.

How can healthy lifestyle choices increase your life expectancy?

Furthermore, the findings quantify the extent to which making healthful lifestyle choices can help individuals mitigate their disease risk and enhance their longevity.

“Lifestyle medicine is aimed at treating the underlying causes of chronic diseases rather than their symptoms,” added Nguyen. “It provides a potential avenue for altering the course of ever-increasing health care costs resulting from prescription medicine and surgical procedures.”

While the lifespan benefits of embracing the eight healthy lifestyle behaviors slightly diminished with age, they remained notable, suggesting that adopting healthier habits later in life can still extend your lifespan.

“It is never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle,” commented Nguyen.

Although the study is observational and can’t conclusively establish causality, Nguyen pointed out that its findings are consistent with an expanding body of research endorsing the role of lifestyle behaviors in preventing chronic diseases and fostering healthy aging.

Nguyen is set to present the study results at NUTRITION 2023, the premier annual conference of the American Society for Nutrition, scheduled to take place in Boston from July 22–25.

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