Analysis of Lifestyle Factors and Longevity
A new study[i] published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has provided a fascinating insight into the hierarchy of lifestyle factors impacting longevity.
According to the paper, chronic diseases are the main drivers of health care spending, accounting for over 80% of costs, and are the leading factors behind illness and death in the United States. The reduction in lifespan due to these illnesses is estimated to be between 7.5 and 20 years. Studies have shown that by maintaining healthy habits, the risk of developing diabetes could be reduced by up to 90%, heart disease by 80%, stroke-related deaths by 70%, and the mortality due to certain cancers by half. Therefore, it has been suggested that encouraging healthier living habits is a key approach to not just preventing chronic illnesses and premature death, but also to fostering prolonged health and well-being into older age. This is a powerful study as it contained data on 276,000 US veterans and this totaled >1 million person years of follow up.
When examined individually, each factor showed a significant association with the risk of total mortality. After adjusting for variables such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, marriage status, and BMI, the findings were quite revealing:
Physical Activity: The most impactful factor was physical activity, for those with physical activity of ≥7.5 METs-h/week (this is equivalent to brisk walking for 2.5 hours total for a week) compared to their less active counterparts. This implies that regular physical activity greatly reduces the risk of mortality - 50% decrease in mortality for men and 46% for women.
Avoiding Smoking: Not smoking had a 35% reduction for men, 30% for women in mortality risk for those who never smoked.
No opioid use disorder: 35% for men, 30% for women.
Neither anxiety nor depression: 33% for men, 29% for women
No frequent binge drinking: 25% for men, 19% for women
Healthy diet: A quite surprising one to be 6th place - 23% for men, 21% for women
7-9 hours of sleep: Another surprise as I figured this one would be at least 2nd or 3rd - 22% for men, 18% for women reduced risk of death.
Positive social interaction score: 15% for men, 5% for women
Additionally, the study showed that adopting a combination of these low-risk lifestyle factors had an increasingly protective effect on mortality risk. Each additional low-risk lifestyle factor was associated with a 19% reduction in mortality risk. This finding emphasizes the cumulative benefit of adopting multiple healthy lifestyle habits.
The study also projected significant gains in life expectancy for those adopting all eight low-risk lifestyle factors. At age 40, male veterans who adopted all eight factors could gain an average of 24 years of life expectancy, living on average to 87 years. Female veterans could gain an average of 20.5 years, living on average to 87.5 years. In contrast, those who adopted none of the low-risk factors had a much lower projected life expectancy: 63 years for male veterans and 67 years for female veterans at age 40. That is a huge statistic! You could add 24 years of life expectancy for men and 20.5 years for women!
In Conclusion: A Multifaceted Approach to Longevity
This comprehensive analysis underscores the multifaceted nature of lifestyle factors in influencing longevity. It reveals that while physical activity, avoiding smoking, and opioid use are the most impactful, other factors like stress management, sleep, diet, alcohol consumption, and social connections also play significant roles. The key takeaway is that a holistic approach, incorporating all these elements, is crucial for maximizing life expectancy and quality of life.
[i] Nguyen, X. M. T., Li, Y., Wang, D. D., Whitbourne, S. B., Houghton, S. C., Hu, F. B., … & Wilson, P. W. (2024). Impact of 8 lifestyle factors on mortality and life expectancy among United States veterans: The Million Veteran Program. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 119(1), 127-135.