From Journal Watch:
The more healthy lifestyle behaviors that adults follow, the lower their risk for a number of chronic conditions, reports Archives of Internal Medicine.
Researchers in Germany recruited some 23,000 adults aged 35 to 65 and followed them for roughly 8 years. At baseline, four healthy lifestyle behaviors were assessed: never smoking, having a BMI under 30, exercising regularly, and adhering to a healthy diet (high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in red meat).
During follow-up, about 9% of the participants developed diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, or cancer. The risk for any of these conditions decreased as the number of healthy lifestyle behaviors at baseline increased. For example, adults with one healthy behavior saw a 50% reduction in risk — and those with all four behaviors saw nearly an 80% reduction — compared with those with no healthy behaviors.
The original article in the Archives of Internal Medicine is here.
