Lifestyle Choices and Longevity: A Guide to Increased Life Expectancy
The research paper, "Impact of 8 lifestyle factors on mortality and life expectancy among United States veterans: The Million Veteran Program," provides a groundbreaking insight into how lifestyle choices impact the longevity and mortality of US veterans. The study analyzed data from over 700,000 veterans aged 40-99 years, focusing on eight specific lifestyle factors: non-smoking, regular physical activity, moderate alcohol consumption, restorative sleep, balanced nutrition, stress management, strong social connections, and avoiding opioid use disorder. This comprehensive approach examined the cumulative effect of these factors on lifespan.
Results of this extensive study indicated a clear link between the adoption of these lifestyle habits and a significant reduction in mortality risk. For instance, veterans who adopted all eight lifestyle factors had a drastically lower hazard ratio for mortality compared to those who adopted none. This translates into a remarkable increase in life expectancy, with differences of up to 24 years for male veterans and 20.5 years for female veterans at age 40. This study highlights the profound impact of lifestyle choices on longevity, especially among the veteran population.
Article Information
Impact of 8 lifestyle factors on mortality and life expectancy among United States veterans: The Million Veteran Program
Published in Am J Clin Nutr. Xuan-Mai T Nguyen et al.
Abstract
Background: Lifestyle medicine has been proposed as a way to address the root causes of chronic disease and their associated health care costs.
Objective: This study aimed to estimate mortality risk and longevity associated with individual lifestyle factors and comprehensive lifestyle therapy.
Methods: Age- and sex-specific mortality rates were calculated on the basis of 719,147 veterans aged 40-99 y enrolled in the Veteran Affairs Million Veteran Program (2011-2019). Hazard ratios and estimated increase in life expectancy were examined among a subgroup of 276,132 veterans with complete data on 8 lifestyle factors at baseline. The 8 lifestyle factors included never smoking, physical activity, no excessive alcohol consumption, restorative sleep, nutrition, stress management, social connections, and no opioid use disorder.
Results: On the basis of 1.12 million person-years of follow-up, 34,247 deaths were recorded. Among veterans who adopted 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 lifestyle factors, the adjusted hazard ratios for mortality were 0.74 (0.60-0.90), 0.60 (95% CI: 0.49, 0.73), 0.50 (95% CI: 0.41, 0.61), 0.43 (95% CI: 0.35, 0.52), 0.35 (95% CI: 0.29, 0.43), 0.27 (95% CI: 0.22, 0.33), 0.21 (95% CI: 0.17, 0.26), and 0.13 (95% CI: 0.10, 0.16), respectively, as compared with veterans with no adopted lifestyle factors. The estimated life expectancy at age 40 y was 23.0, 26.5, 28.8, 30.8, 32.7, 35.1, 38.3, 41.3, and 47.0 y among males and 27.0, 28.8, 33.1, 38.0, 39.2, 41.4, 43.8, 46.3, and 47.5 y for females who adopted 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 lifestyle factors, respectively. The difference in life expectancy at age 40 y was 24.0 y for male veterans and 20.5 y for female veterans when comparing adoption of 8-9 lifestyle factors.
Conclusions: A combination of 8 lifestyle factors is associated with a significantly lower risk of premature mortality and an estimated prolonged life expectancy.
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