A study published online by JAMA Network Open on June 20, 2024 suggests that you can live longer by following healthy habits even in later life. Researchers looked at the lifestyles of 5,222 people aged 80 and older. We then looked at who in the group had reached 100 years of age (centenarians) and who had not. The researchers ranked each person’s lifestyle on a scale of 0 to 6, with higher scores suggesting healthier behaviors. The score was calculated based on habits such as dietary diversity, regular exercise, smoking, alcohol intake, and body mass index (BMI). Participants who scored between 5 and 6 lived the longest on average and were most likely to reach 100 years old. People with scores between 0 and 2 had the shortest lives.
According to researchers, the three lifestyle habits that have the biggest impact on longevity are diet, exercise, and smoking cessation. Centenarians consumed the most fruits, vegetables, fish, beans, and tea. They also engaged in regular exercise, such as running and practicing Qigong, and never smoked. (Alcohol intake and BMI had no effect on whether a person lived to be 100 years old.)
It is important to note that this result only shows an association and does not take into account people’s lifestyles when they were younger. However, they suggest that continuing healthy habits into old age may have life-extending benefits.
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