Researchers Who heeds these five rules, extends his life by 10 years

A healthy lifestyle is paid out in years of life

Based on a study of 123,000 participants, the UK NHS recently published a report with five rules that are designed to promote good health outcomes, increasing women's life expectancy by 14 years on average and 12 years in men. These simple rules are based on the current understanding of the benefits of healthy living habits. The five rules are:

1. Do not smoke.
2. Maintain a healthy weight (BMI from 18.5 to 24.9).
3. At least 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily.
4. Maintain a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as well as low in red meat, saturated fat and sugar.
5. Do not drink too much alcohol (the study does not recommend more than 100 grams of pure alcohol per week).

Habits can not be changed overnight

The NHS points out that most people will not be able to change their lifestyle from one day to the next. Instead, the individual points should be tackled piece by piece. For example, smoking could be stopped first. The improved stamina could facilitate the sport. If you see the first successes in sports, you may also feel more like eating healthier foods and so on. The exact course of action must of course be found by everyone.

A healthy lifestyle without smoking, obesity and too much alcohol, but with regular exercise and healthy diets can give a long life. (Image: Robert Kneschke / fotolia.com)

Every success counts

Each one of these rules, according to NHS, is conducive to reducing the risk of premature death. Anyone who fails to get everyone through has done something good for his health, even if it's just one of those.

About the study

The study was funded by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health conducted in Boston and other centers in China, the UK, the Netherlands and the US. The results were published in the journal "Circulation". It was a prospective cohort study of adults in the United States that looked at how the life habits of subjects affect life expectancy. In addition, consideration was given to which illnesses the participants died from.

Huge amounts of data

At the beginning of the study, the researchers analyzed information from approximately 123,000 adults aged 30 to 75, who were medically monitored for approximately 30 years between 1980 and 2014. The researchers looked at whether those with healthy habits lived longer than those with unhealthy ones. During this time, participants were asked about their eating and drinking habits every four years, and their physical activity was assessed every two years. In addition, the subjects had to regularly specify whether they smoke and how much they weigh.

Evaluation of the diet

The diet was evaluated with the so-called "Alternate Healthy Eating Index" (AHEI). This system gives participants a score based on how well their diets meet the recommended levels of food. In this system, there is a high score for the following dietary habits:

• Lots of vegetables,
• many fruits,
• eat nuts regularly,
• many whole grains,
• Intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids,
• little red and processed meat,
• little sweetened drinks,
• little trans fat,
• little salt.

What did the results of the study show?

The researchers each distribute one item per compliant rule to the subjects. Only a few people succeeded in implementing all 5 healthy habits. Only 1.3 percent of women and 1.7 percent of men received 5 points. During the study, 42,167 participants died, including 13,953 cancer and 10,689 heart disease.

How do the rules affect disease probabilities?

Based on the data, the researchers were able to calculate how much the mortality rate decreases when following these five habits. Accordingly, the general mortality rate fell by about 61 percent. The likelihood of dying from cancer dropped 52 percent, and the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease dropped by about 72 percent.

Increased life expectancy

The data showed that people who followed all five of these habits have more than 10 years longer life expectancy than those who do not. Accordingly, women can live an average of 14 years and men 12.2 years longer.

No generality

The study aims to motivate people to adopt a healthier lifestyle. The researchers have tried to consider as many points as possible. However, they point out that other factors could also play a role that were not taken into account in this study. This could include, for example, the socioeconomic status (salary, education, place of residence, etc.) or medical preconditions. (Vb)