Adopting Healthy Lifestyles at Midlife
By Richard Shank
Large amounts of research show that the very mundane aspects of our lives, such as dietary choices and activity levels, contribute to our risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality. This study finds that adopting a healthy lifestyle in middle and old age has substantial benefits, and that combining elements of the lifestyle together provides a significant increase in cardiovascular health and mortality risk.
Most research has looked at the role that these different lifestyle factors play in health separately, focusing individually on diet, exercise, body weight maintenance, or smoking habits. Until recently, very few studies have combined these elements together to observe their impact. Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina recently published an article that does just that.
Using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Survey, researchers followed 15,792 adults age 45 to 64 in four U.S. communities. Participants were first examined between 1987 and 1989 and then received follow-up exams every three years thereafter. The exam included taking medical histories, weight, and height as well as assessing diet, smoking behavior, and participation in sports and leisure activities.
The study found that only 8.5% of middle-aged adults in the sample lived comprehensively healthy lifestyles. These adults ate diets high in fruits and vegetables, got regular exercise, maintained a healthy weight, and did not smoke. Most importantly however, these researchers demonstrated that the older adults who changed their lifestyles during the course of the study had experienced a 40% decrease in mortality and a 35% decrease in cardiovascular disease risk after only four years. Those least likely to adopt healthy lifestyles—men, African-Americans, individuals with low incomes or less than a college degree, and people with a history of hypertension—were at the greatest risk for mortality and cardiovascular disease
This study suggests that the sometimes-piecemeal approach to wellness and behavior change may not be doing enough. Efforts to boost health and wellness need to focus on fostering comprehensive lifestyle changes that target each seemingly mundane habit known to contribute to health and longevity.
Source: King, D., Mainous, A., Geesey, M. 2009. Turning back the clock: Adopting a healthy lifestyle in middle age. American Journal of Medicine 120: 598-603.
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