A new study shows four choices could keep you healthy late in life.
The study published in the August issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine documented study participants aged 35-65 years old. Doctors followed their health for an average of eight years.
The results reveal four life choices can create a track record of good health. They looked for confirmed incidents of four chronic diseases: type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke and cancer.
They measured four lifestyle choices: never smoking, having a body mass index less than 30, performing at least 3.5hrs/week of physical activity, and adhering to a healthy diet (high intake of fruit, vegetables, whole grain bread, and low meat intake).
The results showed on average, the presence of just one healthy behavior as compared with none cut the chronic disease risk by 50 percent.
They also found that individuals who adhered to all four healthy choices enjoyed a nearly 80 percent reduction in the incidence of diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and cancer compared with those who did not have a healthy factor.
Dr. Carla Braxton, of Kansas University Medical Center said, “While this general information is not new, the study demonstrates the strong impact of lifestyle choices on the prevention of chronic diseases.”
