Impact of modifiable healthy lifestyle adoption on lifetime gain from middle to older age

OBJECTIVE: this study explored whether the modification of selected lifestyles is likely to increase life expectancy from middle age onwards, regardless of the presence of major comorbidities. METHODS: we examined a prospective cohort of 20,373 men and 26,247 women aged 40–80 years. Eight modifiable lifestyle factors were assessed: consumption of fruit, fish and milk, walking and/or sports participation, body-mass index, smoking status, alcohol consumption and sleep duration. Modifiable healthy lifestyle factors scored one point each, for a maximum of eight points. The impact of modifiable healthy lifestyle adoption on lifetime gain during the ages of 40–102 years was analysed. FINDINGS: during the median 21 years of follow-up, 8,966 individuals (3,683 men and 5,283 women) died. Life expectancy at 40 years (95% confidence intervals) for 7–8 health lifestyle points was 46.8 (45.6–48.1) and 51.3 (50.0–52.6) years for men and women, respectively. The potential impact of modifiable healthy lifestyle adoption on lifetime gain persisted over the age of 80 years or more, in individuals with ≥5 factors (P < 0.001), particularly older men. The benefits were more pronounced among patients with major comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease and those with multimorbidity throughout all age categories. CONCLUSION: adopting modifiable healthy lifestyles was associated with lifetime gain, even in individuals aged 80 years or more, regardless of the presence of any major comorbidities in each life stage since middle age. The findings imply the importance of improving the one’s lifestyle for an increased lifespan, even among older patients and/or those with multimorbidity.