Adopting eight lifestyle changes, such as improving diet and managing stress, could add more than 20 years to a person's life, research suggests. The study, presented at the American Society for Nutrition meeting in Boston, found that even minor changes made in middle age can be beneficial.
Researchers analysed data from over 700,000 US veterans aged 40 to 99, collected between 2011 and 2019. They identified eight lifestyle factors associated with longer lifespan: eating well, getting good sleep, managing stress, avoiding cigarettes, limiting alcohol, staying physically active, avoiding opioid drugs, and maintaining social connections.
Men and women who adopted all eight factors at age 40 could gain 23.7 and 22.6 years of life expectancy respectively, compared to those who adopted none. Even making changes later in life, such as after 45, was linked to added years.
The study found that physical inactivity, opioid use, and smoking were most strongly linked to early death, raising risk by 30-45%. Stress, binge drinking, poor sleep, and poor diet each raised risk by about 20%.
Experts caution that the observational study cannot prove cause and effect. However, Prof Naveed Sattar of the University of Glasgow noted that the findings reinforce the importance of lifestyle in preventing chronic disease.
