Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Even small improvements in sleep habits, physical activity, and diet can improve longevity For people with unhealthy habits, a new study suggests.
Previous research has shown that exercise, sleep duration and quality, and diet play a role in closely related to longevity. But how exactly do these factors affect aging? study in isolation.
New study assesses how minimal combined improvements in sleep, physical activity and diet can significantly extend lifespan life and years of good health.
According to research published in the journal, just five minutes more sleep, two minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (such as brisk walking or climbing stairs), and half an extra serving of vegetables a day can add a year to the lives of those with the worst habits. eClinical Medicine.
Researchers evaluated data from nearly 60,000 people British Biobank The cohort was recruited between 2006 and 2010 and followed for an average of eight years.
They then used statistical models to estimate the number of lifespan and healthy years the participants experienced with different behavioral changes.
Researchers found that the optimal combination of behaviors – seven to eight hours of sleep per day, more than 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day, and a healthy diet – can extend life by more than nine years.
“The combined improvement of 24 minutes of sleep per day, 3.7 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day, and a 23-point increase in DQS was associated with an additional 4 years of life,” they said.
The DQS (Diet Quality Score) is based on intake of vegetables, fruits, grains, meat, fish, dairy products, oils and sugary drinks.
The researchers found that the combined impact of sleep, physical activity and diet was greater than the sum of individual behaviors.
For example, the study noted that those with the unhealthy sleep, physical activity, and eating habits needed five times the amount of extra sleep (25 minutes) per day than those whose physical activity and eating habits improved slightly.
“This study shows that small combined improvements in sleep, physical activity, and nutrition are associated with theoretical increases in lifespan and healthspan that are clinically meaningful and relevant to population health,” the researchers wrote.
However, they caution that more research is needed to examine whether and how these findings translate into clinical practice.
“These findings highlight pragmatic approaches to improving population health that include modest behavioral changes to inform future trials and public health interventions,” they wrote.