Lifestyle is More Important than Genetics for Long Life
How old will you be when you die?
According to a new study, how you live your life, rather than how long your parents lived, is the major determinant. The study was in the Journal of Internal Medicine by researchers from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.
Most of us assume that people with parents who lived to be very old are more likely to live to a grand old age themselves.
“But that’s just not true – our study shows that hereditary factors don’t play a major role and that lifestyle has the biggest impact,” said professor emeritus Lars Wilhelmsen.
Those who did not smoke, consumed moderate amounts of coffee and had a good socio-economic status at the age of 50 (measured in terms of housing costs), as well as good physical working capacity at the age of 54 had the greatest chance of celebrating their 90th birthday.
“Many of these factors have previously been identified as playing a role in cardiovascular disease, but here we are showing for the first time that they are important for survival in general.”
He believes that it is significant that the research illustrates so clearly that we do not “inherit” mortality to any great extent, but instead that we are the sum of our own habits.
“The study clearly shows that we can influence the factors that decide how old we get,” says Wilhelmsen. “This is positive not only for the individual, but also for society as it doesn’t entail any major drug costs.”
The study of men born in 1913
The 1913 Men epidemiological study started in 1963. A third of all male 50-year-olds in Gothenburg were called for a check-up that focused on cardiovascular health.
Every 10 years since, a new group of 50-year-olds has been called in and those who were already taking part in the study have been given another check-up.
This has enabled researchers to follow the development of illnesses in a specific age group, and to compare the health of 50-year-olds in 2003 with that of 50-year-olds in 1963, for example.
The men born in 1913 were examined when they were 50, 54, 60, 67, 75 and 80. Of the 855 men who took part in the study from the start, 111 (13%) were still alive at the age of 90.
Over the years, data from this long-running study has generated many research articles and doctoral theses.
Source: University of Gothenburg
We teach everyone how to stay young, healthy and active. We expect that those that make the changes in lifestyle will outlive the previous generation. Today due to the modern diet we have the first generation to have a life expectancy less than the previous generation. In other words if we live like everyone else in America our kids lives are going to be shorter than ours.
Change your lifestyle and save your children.
Crowley Chiropractic Clinic 