It is estimated that approximately 90% of diabetes cases, 80% of coronary heart disease, 70% of cardiovascular mortality and 50% of cancer mortality can be attributed to non-adherence to a healthy lifestyle. An American study aimed to evaluate how many years of life can be gained by following eight virtuous behaviors.
Life expectancy and quality
Thanks to scientific and technological progress, we have increased life expectancy and significantly reduced deaths from infectious diseases. Today, in Western countries, the leading cause of death is cardiovascular disease, followed by deaths from cancer, dementia, Alzheimer’s and diabetes. These diseases, considered chronic, take years to manifest clinically and have a heavy impact on the quality of life of those who develop them. Chronic diseases shorten life expectancy by several years, with some estimates indicating a loss of up to 20 years. Often, such diseases are caused by a lack of adherence to healthy lifestyles. A team of American researchers therefore asked themselves how many years of life can be gained with virtuous behavior.
Living long and healthy: the eight rules by Aureliano Stingi 11 September 2023
The study on US veterans
To answer this question, they analyzed the huge American Veterans Database, which contains much detailed information about former American combatants and is often used for observational studies that explore the impact of parameters or behaviors on life expectancy.
The study involved 719,147 veterans aged between 40 and 99 years enrolled in the Veteran Affairs Million Program from 2011 to 2019. Eight virtuous behaviors were considered:
Not smoking Doing physical activity Reduced alcohol consumption Sufficient rest Healthy and balanced diet Stress management Social connections No opioid use disorder
The veterans were divided into groups based on various virtuous behaviors: some adopted only one virtuous behavior, while others followed all eight rules. The researchers calculated the impact of each behavior on life expectancy and found, for example, that not smoking contributes to gaining at least 5 years of life expectancy.
LONG LIFE The complete archive
The results on life expectancy
The most significant data concerns complete adherence to all eight virtuous behaviors. The researchers estimate that complete adherence to all lifestyles could extend life expectancy at age 40 by 24.0 years for male veterans and 20.5 years for female veterans, compared to those who they have not adopted any lifestyle. The results of this study are consistent with studies carried out on the general population, confirming that by adopting correct lifestyles it is possible to reduce the risk of death and significantly increase life expectancy.
Not being afraid of growing old could be the first secret to longevity by Aureliano Stingi 16 October 2023
TAKE HOME MESSAGE:
Most deaths in the West occur due to non-infectious diseases considered chronic and degenerative. Chronic degenerative diseases are often caused by less than virtuous behaviors such as smoking, sedentary lifestyle, substance abuse. The study on American veterans highlights that the Complete adherence to healthy lifestyles can result in a gain of over 20 years of life
REF:
Aureliano Stingi, doctor in molecular biology, works in the field of precision oncology. He collaborates with the World Health Organization in the battle against Covid19-themed fake news
Instagram: Aureliano _Turn it off Twitter: @AurelianoStingi