we aim to estimate the impact of lifestyle factors is significantly associated with a reduced risk of dying from the top two killers in the united states , cardiovascular disease and cancer , according to the study .
about 610,000 people die of heart disease in the us each year , which is about one in every four deaths , according to the us centers for disease control and prevention about 609,640 americans are expected to die of cancer this year , according to the american cancer society just watched life expectancy on the rise replay more videos ... must watch life expectancy on the rise 01:22 " these are some of the leading causes of premature death , so by preventing or reducing the incidence of those diseases , it promotes longevity , and it also improves survival after diagnosis of those diseases , " said dr. meir stampfer , a professor of medicine at harvard medical school and professor
we used data from the nhanes ( national health and nutrition examination surveys ; 2013 - 2014 ) to estimate the distribution of the lifestyle score and the us centers for disease control and prevention wonder database to derive the agespecific death rates of americans .
methods — using data from the nurses ' health study ( 1980 - 2014 ; n=78 865 ) and the health professionals follow - up study ( 1986 - 2014 , n=44 354 ) , we defined 5 low - risk lifestyle factors as never smoking , body mass index of 18.5 to 24.9 kg m2 , ≥30 min d of moderate to vigorous physical activity , moderate alcohol intake , and a high diet quality score ( upper 40 % ) , and estimated hazard ratios for the association of total lifestyle score ( 0 - 5 scale ) with mortality .
abstract background — americans have a shorter life expectancy compared with residents of almost all other high - income countries .
the population - attributable risk factors were 0.26 ( 95 % ci , 0.27 - 0.45 ) for cancer mortality , and 0.18 ( 95 % ci , 0.12 - 0.26 ) for cardiovascular disease mortality .
adhering to those five lifestyle factors at age 50 , compared with not adhering to any of them , was associated with 14 additional years of life expectancy among women and 12.2 additional years among men in the study , published in the journal circulation on monday .
results — during up to 34 years of follow - up , we documented 42 167 deaths .
a new study suggests that you can do just that by following these five healthy habits : never smoke , maintain a healthy body - mass index , keep up moderate to vigorous exercise , do n't drink too much alcohol , and eat a healthy diet .