Major study finds eight habits that will help you live up to 24 years longer

29 July 2023 , 06:00

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Healthy eating was among the factors contributing in longevity, according to researchers (Image: Getty Images/Onoky)

A study involving thousands of people unveiled eight lifestyle attitudes that can contribute to longevity.

The recent study, conducted among a vast cohort of US veterans highlights the potential benefits of lifestyle medicine in tackling chronic diseases and associated healthcare costs.

Chronic diseases, accounting for over 80% of all healthcare expenses, are a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in the country. In response, researchers have turned to lifestyle medicine as a means to address the root causes of these conditions.

The study, aiming to estimate mortality risk and longevity associated with various lifestyle factors, analyzed data from the Million Veteran Program (MVP) spanning from 2011 to 2019.

The prospective cohort study included 719,147 participants aged between 40 and 99 years. The primary outcome assessed was all-cause mortality and the potential gains in life expectancy.

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People that don't binge drink often tend to leave longer, researchers found (Getty Images)

Over the course of 1.13 million person-years of follow-up, 33,375 deaths were observed, allowing researchers to calculate mortality rates per 1000 person-years for each lifestyle factor combination.

The findings revealed a clear association between adopting more lifestyle factors and reduced mortality rates. Veterans who embraced all eight lifestyle factors experienced a significantly lower mortality rate compared to those who did not adopt any of these factors.

The below eight therapeutic lifestyle factors were considered:

1. Never smoking
2. Physical activity
3. No regular binge drinking
4. Good sleep hygiene
5. A healthy diet
6. Minimal stress
7. Positive social relationships
8. No opioid addiction.

Smoking was one of the reasons that increased mortality rate (Getty Images)

The study's results demonstrated that certain individual therapeutic lifestyle factors showed independent associations with lower mortality risk.

Specifically, positive social relationships, good sleep hygiene, abstaining from regular binge drinking, maintaining a healthy diet, minimizing stress, refraining from smoking, avoiding opioid use disorder, and engaging in physical activity were linked to reduced mortality rates.

The researchers also evaluated the combined impact of these lifestyle factors. Veterans who embraced all eight therapeutic lifestyle factors experienced a 13% reduction in all-cause mortality compared to those who did not adopt any of these factors.

Additionally, the study projected substantial gains in life expectancy for those who followed all eight factors. At the age of 40 years, male veterans and female veterans who adopted all eight factors could gain approximately 23.7 and 22.6 years of life expectancy, respectively, compared to their counterparts who did not follow these practices.

A regular sleep schedule helps people live longer, researchers found (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The study's analysis suggests that a lifestyle characterised by positive habits can significantly lower the risk of premature mortality. Furthermore, the cumulative effect of multiple therapeutic lifestyle factors appears to be multiplicative, emphasizing the potential benefits of embracing a combination of these practices.

While the study focused on US veterans, its findings could have broader implications for public health strategies in combating chronic diseases and improving overall longevity.

Implementing lifestyle interventions at a population level could prove instrumental in reducing healthcare costs and improving the well-being of individuals across the nation.

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However, researchers highlighted that further research and efforts are needed to encourage the widespread adoption of these beneficial lifestyle factors to realize their full potential in enhancing public health outcomes.

Vassia Barba