We know that a healthy lifestyle leads to a longer life. But now, a new study says that people with chronic conditions can live longer thanks to a healthy lifestyle.
Healthy Lifestyles for Longer Lives
Up to now, there’s still little research linking lifestyles to extending the lives of people with two or more health conditions. These conditions range from hypertension, cancer, asthma, and diabetes.
For this new study, a team of UK researchers looked at 93,736 middle-aged adults suffering from multiple long-term diseases. They tracked the adults for nine years. During those years, the researchers studied the adults’ lifestyles. They wanted to know if they exercised, smoked or drank, and followed a healthy diet.
Study Results
The researchers found that healthy lifestyles gave the adults longer lives. Healthy lifestyles gave them 6.3 more years for the men, while the women enjoyed 7.6 more years. They all enjoyed longer lives despite their conditions.
Quitting smoking was the most significant factor. Adults aged 45 who still smoked lived five to six years shorter than non-smokers. Regular exercise gave 2.5 more years. However, the benefits of healthy diets and quitting drinking remained unclear.
Chronic Health Conditions
Despite the promising results, the researchers said they only found a link between a healthy lifestyle and a longer life. They did not confirm that a healthy lifestyle extends a person’s life.
CNN also says that men usually suffer from hypertension, asthma, cancer, diabetes, and angina. Meanwhile, women also suffer from depression and migraines.