A study of more than 700,000 people found that adopting eight healthy habits by age 40 could extend life expectancy by more than two decades
By Grace Wade
24 July 2023
Moderate exercise and positive social relationships are two of the habits associated with longer lives
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People who adopt eight healthy habits by the age of 40 may live about two decades longer than those who don’t. The effect is lower but still significant for people who have these eight habits by the time they are 60 years old.
Xuan-Mai Nguyen at the VA Boston Healthcare System and her colleagues collected data on physical activity, diet, sleep, mental health, relationships and alcohol use from a group of more than 700,000 US veterans between 40 and 99 years old. Participants completed a survey on their lifestyles between 2011 and 2019, and the researchers analysed this alongside data from their health records.
During the eight-year study period, 33,375 participants died. After adjusting for factors like age, socioeconomic status and race, the researchers found that there were eight habits that were correlated with a significantly lower risk of dying from any cause during this period. These included eating a healthy diet, exercising, maintaining positive social relationships, managing stress, consuming alcohol in moderation, never smoking, sleeping well and not having an opioid use disorder.
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Physical activity influenced longevity the most. Moderate exercise – equivalent to at least briskly walking a few blocks each day – was associated with a 46 per cent lower risk of dying during the eight-year time frame than being sedentary.
People without a history of opioid use disorder had a 38 per cent reduced risk of death in the period than those who did, and those who never smoked had a 29 per cent lower risk versus current or former smokers.