As we continue to progress in these uncertain times due to COVID-19 and the coronavirus, the role of dietary lifestyle habits continues to play an important role, not only for a longer lifespan but for one’s “healthspan.”
Dr. Frank Hu, chair of the nutrition department at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health says that “people don’t just want to live longer but they want to live longer without a major chronic disease.”
Past reports have noted that people with five healthy habits — eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, keeping a healthy weight, not drinking too much alcohol, and not smoking — live more than a decade longer than those with none of those habits.
A new study by Dr. Hu and colleagues re-ran their analysis to focus on life expectancy of cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The study tracked around 111.500 individuals for 28 to 34 years and looked at the combined impact of several healthy habits together.
Some of the study results for women and men follow:
Women who were 50 years of age with at least four of the five “low-risk habits could expect to live to age 84 before being affected by cancer, cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes.
This same individual who did not follow any of the “low-risk” habits could expect to live to age 74 without these illnesses. In comparison, a man with following a “low-risk” approach could expect to live disease-free to age 81, rather than age 74.
A definition of “low-risk” for each category of the study follows:
- Smoking – Only those who never smoked
- Weight – Individuals who are at a” healthy weight” (neither too high nor too low).
- Alcohol – 1/3 to one serving of beer, wine or liquor for women and ½ to two serving per day for men
- Diet – A score on the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) or the top 40% of study participants. An explanation of the AHEI is provided near the end of the column.
- Exercise – At least a half-hour a day (or 3 and one-half hours a week) of moderate-intensity exercise like brisk walking
Behavioral and other factors like age, ethnicity, and family history of diabetes, heart attack or cancer were adjusted in the study. Results from the research do fit well with other evidence.
Hu goes on to note “that “80 percent of cardiovascular disease and 90 percent of type 2 diabetes are attributable to major lifestyle factors.”
In conclusion, study participants who had diabetes or cardiovascular disease also lived longer if they practiced healthy habits. Finally, “These lifestyle habits may not only delay the onset of those diseases but also improve the survival of people who already have them,” according to Hu.
Thanks to the CSPI/Nutrition Action Newsletter for a description and results from the healthspan study.
As noted in past columns, living a healthier lifestyle through following healthier habits can produce a longer (and healthier) “healthspan” leading to a better quality of life.
Additional Information:
The healthy eating index (HEI), developed and updated in 2015, is a measure to assess how well a set of foods aligns with recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The alternative healthy eating index (AHEI) was created as an alternative to the HEI, based on foods and nutrients which can prevent chronic disease risks.
The AHEI-2010 was updated and showed more advantages than the HEI in predicting major chronic disease and CVD risks. Higher scores of dietary quality based on AHEI are strongly associated with lower risks of chronic diseases, cancer, and all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality.
An explanation of the AHEI is available at fns.usda.gov.
References
Evaluation of the Healthy Eating Index-2015. Access at
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30146073/
Diet Quality as Assessed by the Healthy Eating Index, Alternate Healthy Eating Index, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Score, and Health Outcomes: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies. Access at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29111090/
Mark A. Mahoney, Ph.D. has been a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist for over 30 years and completed graduate studies in Nutrition & Public Health at Columbia University. He can be reached at marqos69@hotmail.com.
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