Gymnast Johanna Quaas took part in a competition at the age of 91, Max Planck researcher Thomas Jovin was still in the laboratory every day at the age of over 80 and the Rolling Stones – average age of 79 – are touring again this year the world. What keeps some people so fit?
The good news: Apparently it’s not just the genes. Researchers from the USA have conducted a large-scale study eight lifestyle factors that can be influenced have been identified with which men and women live more than 20 years longer – even if they only start a healthy lifestyle in midlife.
Background: Avoid risk of serious illnesses
The background is that certain lifestyle factors play a role in the development of chronic diseases that increase the risk of mortality. The researchers write in their study, which was published in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,” that
90 percent of diabetes cases 80 percent of coronary heart disease 70 percent of cardiovascular mortality and 50 percent of cancer mortality
can be attributed to non-compliance with a healthy lifestyle. For comparison: According to the Federal Statistical Office, in Germany alone, 360,000 people die from cardiovascular diseases and 230,000 from cancer every year. They are considered the two most common causes of death in this country.
Thesis: Those who live healthily should also live longer
The researchers’ thesis: If a healthy lifestyle is fulfilled, we should also live longer. For their study, the team led by scientists Xuan-Mai T. Nguyen and Yanping Li from Harvard Medical School evaluated data from over 700,000 men and women from the “Veterans Affairs Million Veteran Program” over a period of eight years. 33,375 of them died during the follow-up period.
The result:
Health-conscious men live an average of 24 years longer.
Men who exhibit all eight healthy lifestyle factors by age 40 live an average of 24 years longer compared to men who do not have any of these habits. This means that the health-conscious person will be 63 years old and the health-conscious person will be 87 years old.
Health-conscious women live an average of 21 years longer.
Women who practice all eight healthy lifestyle factors by age 40 live an average of 21 years longer compared to women who do not have any of these habits. This means that the health-conscious person only lives to be 67 years old, while the health-conscious person lives to be 87.5 years old.
Specifically, the following were: eight positive lifestyle factors queried:
regular physical activity no opioid addiction no smoking good stress management (no depression or anxiety disorders) healthy, predominantly plant-based diet no excessive alcohol consumption (“binge drinking” asked, corresponds to more than five glasses in one drinking occasion) good sleep quality positive social relationships
Low physical activity, opioid consumption and smoking had the greatest negative impact on life expectancy. These factors were associated with an approximately 30 to 45 percent higher risk of death during the study period. Stress, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet and poor sleep hygiene have each been linked to an increased risk of death by about 20 percent. And a lack of positive social relationships with a five percent increased risk of death.
Even if you start later in life, positive effects can still be felt
“We were really surprised at how much you can achieve by adopting one, two, three or all eight habits as a lifestyle,” said scientist Nguyen in an accompanying statement. “The sooner the better, but even if you make just a small change in your 40s, 50s or 60s, it’s still beneficial.”
The life of a 50-year-old man is extended by 21.3 years; in 50-year-old women around 18.9. And even at 60, 70, 80 or even 90, it’s worth starting over, even if the effects become smaller and smaller. Researcher Yanping Li’s conclusion: “It’s never too late to choose a healthy lifestyle.”