How healthy habits extend your life expectancy
Are you thinking more and more about your health and future? Good news: it's never too late to make positive changes. A healthy lifestyle can add extra years to your life and, more importantly, it can lead to healthy, energetic years without chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
What does the science say?
A large-scale study published in the British Medical Journal demonstrates that certain lifestyle factors directly impact your life expectancy. Researchers analysed data from over 111,000 participants and identified five essential pillars for a long and healthy life:
- Not smoking
- A healthy body weight (BMI between 18.5 and 24.9)
- Engaging in at least 30 minutes of exercise daily
- Consuming alcohol in moderation
- Following a balanced and nutritious diet
The results are compelling: women who adopted four or five healthy habits by age 50 lived on average 34.4 years without chronic diseases - almost 11 years longer than women who did not follow any of these habits. In men, this difference was 7.6 years. That means more time to enjoy your family, friends and personal passions.
Why is this important?
Many people wait until health issues arise before making lifestyle changes. But why wait until it is too late? This research shows that by proactively working on your lifestyle, you can significantly improve your quality of life.
At IKARIA Clinics, we believe in the power of preventive care. We offer customised programmes to help you incorporate healthy habits into your daily routine. Whether it is nutritional guidance, lifestyle coaching or a comprehensive health check, we are ready to support your journey to a more vibrant life.
Start today.
Health is your most valuable asset. Are you ready to invest in it? Make an appointment at IKARIA Clinics and discover how to optimise your energy and vitality.
Reference
- Li, Y., Pan, A., Wang, D. D., Liu, X., Dhana, K., Franco, O. H., Kaptoge, S., Qi, L., Stampfer, M. J., Willett, W. C., & Hu, F. B. (2020). Impact of Healthy Lifestyle Factors on Life Expectancies in the US Population. British Medical Journal, 368, l6669. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31915124/