Sometimes It’s Just That Simple

Research studies are all about numbers. Quintiles, quartiles, percents, pounds and kilograms... it can all be a little overwhelming when you're trying to figure out what is the best way to live healthier and longer. While the purpose of our columns is to explain current research in easy to understand terms and tell you just what that science means for you in the real world, today we want to share with you some research that is about as simple as it gets.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control worked with scientists at the German Institute of Human Nutrition on a study that included over 23,000 men and women between the ages of 35 and 65 (Arch Intern Med 2009;169(15):1355-1362). At the start of the study, each person received a score of 1 or 0 (yes or no) on four positive health factors:

1. Never smoked? (Yes or no.)
2. Had a Body Mass Index under 30? (Yes or no.) (Note that a Body Mass Index between 25 and 30 is considered overweight. The participants only had to be not obese to receive a positive score.)
3. Got at least 3.5 hours per week of physical activity? (Yes or no.)
4. Followed a fairly healthy diet, high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and low in red meat? (Yes or no.)

The participants were then followed for about 8 years, or until they developed at least one major chronic disease: type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke or cancer.

Here's the simple part: after controlling for other factors such as age, sex, education, and alcohol consumption, the researchers compared those with a score of 4 with those who had a score of 0 positive health factors. Those with all four of the positive health factors were 78% less likely to develop one of those chronic diseases than those with none. Specifically, those with all four of those health factors were:

• 93% less likely to develop diabetes,
• 81% less likely to have a heart attack,
• 50% less likely to have a stroke, and
• 36% less likely to develop any form of cancer.

The researchers recognized that those who smoke can't go back to having never smoked once they quit. Among former smokers, those who had the other three positive health factors were still 69% less likely to develop one of the four chronic diseases (compared with 78% less likely for people who never smoked).

What this means for you

This is the positive effects of a healthy lifestyle writ just about as large as it can be. To live a longer, healthier life, avoid smoking, keep your weight down, get some exercise and eat healthy.

First posted: December 23, 2009