July 23, 2008 – Adopting four healthy lifestyles after reaching the age of 40 reduces the risk of developing heart disease by more than a third.
This is what emerges from a study of more than 15,000 participants aged 45 to 64, conducted in the United States.1.
Here are the healthy habits the researchers took into account:
- eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day;
- every week, get 30 minutes of exercise per day for at least five days;
- keep your body mass index (BMI) below 30;
- no smoking.
During the four years of the study, people who adopted these four lifestyle habits were less likely to have developed heart disease (11.7%) than those who adopted three or more. less (16.5%). This is a decrease of 35%.
In addition, participants were 40% less likely to die from any cause (2.5% vs. 4.2%, respectively), during the four years of the study. Those who had integrated three healthy lifestyle habits saw their risk of dying decrease by 25%.
However, researchers say there is still a long way to go to get people to take action. “Despite the significant dissemination of public health messages, only 8.5% of study participants had adopted the four lifestyle habits, from their forties,” they deplore.
For example, the average consumption of fruits and vegetables among the 15,000 participants was only 3.8 servings per day. And only half did the recommended 2.5 hours of physical activity per week.
“Adhering to a healthier lifestyle has multiple benefits for quality of life, and it’s never too late to get started,” they conclude.
Martin LaSalle – PasseportSanté.net
1. King DE, Mainous AG 3rd, Geesey ME, Turning back the clock: adopting a healthy lifestyle in middle age, Am J Med, July 2007, vol. 120, no 7, 598-603.
