Researchers examined data on lifestyle from the large (88,000 women) Nurses’ Health Study II. Healthy lifestyle criteria included being a nonsmoker, having a health weight (normal body mass index (BMI)), being physically active at least 2.5 hours a week, watching television 7 hours or less a week, consuming alcohol in moderate amounts, and eating a healthy diet.
Women who met all six criteria had almost no heart disease and low rates of other diseases such as high cholesterol, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes, after 20 years of follow-up. Compared with women who met none of the criteria, these women had a 66-92% reduction in cardiac risk factors. Interestingly, only 5% of women in the study met all six criteria.
This study adds to the evidence of the importance of a healthy lifestyle; the effect is rather dramatic. These are the simple steps to health that we all know and are commonly recommended. They are simple, at least in theory. They are the answer not only to the health of individuals but to many of our country’s health problems and high costs. The leading causes of death in America are lifestyle related, the result of poor diet, smoking, and little physical activity. We are killing ourselves; these are the primary reasons for our high costs and poor outcomes. With over 60% of adults overweight or obese, we should not wonder at our poor health and high costs. These are the answers to many of our problems as well.
Healthy lifestyle in the primordial prevention of cardiovascular disease among young women. J Am Coll Cardiol 2015 Jan 6; 65:43. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2014.10.024)
Accompanying editorial: Healthy habits, healthy women. J Am Coll Cardiol 2015 Jan 6; 65:52. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2014.10.023)
