8 lifestyle habits proven effective in reducing the risk of premature death

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Researchers from the American Heart Association found that following a set of key lifestyle habits can help reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

The researchers, who studied more than 5,600 participants in the Framingham Heart Study that began in 1948, found that people who ate a healthy diet, got about 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, did not smoke, exercised, and controlled their blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. and weight, their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) decreased by 36%.

Because the data set goes back a long time, the researchers had details about the participants' family histories, which allowed them to know whether they were genetically predisposed to heart disease.

It was found that the risk also decreased in people with a family history of cardiovascular disease, with the risk of death due to stroke reduced by 39%, and the risk of death from any health cause reduced by approximately 80%.

Following these eight tips can reduce your risk no matter your age or health history, said Jiantao Ma, lead researcher and professor in the Division of Nutritional Epidemiology from the American Heart Association.

The researchers studied how heart-healthy lifestyle choices affect the biological aging of the body and its cells, which contributes to a person's overall health.

They said there are many factors that influence how the body ages, including genetics, diet, exercise and environment, which in turn affects an individual's DNA.

These factors can be used as indicators of your likelihood of developing certain health conditions, such as cancer or heart disease.

They discovered that people with healthy lifestyles had biological ages much younger than their actual chronological age, suggesting that following a heart-healthy lifestyle helped them reverse their genetic clock, the researcher said.

He added: "Our message is that everyone should pay attention to the eight health factors related to heart disease and stroke."

The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.