Healthy practices can help people live longer even in their later years, according to a study published online by JAMA Network Open on June 20, 2024. A study was conducted on 5,222 individuals who were 80 years of age or older. They then examined the group members who lived to be 100 years old (centenarians) and those who did not. Each person’s lifestyle was scored by the team on a range of zero to six, where higher scores indicated healthier habits. The body mass index (BMI), frequent exercise, smoking, drinking alcohol, and a variety of dietary patterns were among the habits that were used to determine the scores. The individuals who had a score of five or six had the longest average lifespans and the highest chance of living to be 100 years old. The people who had a score of zero to two had the shortest lifespans.
The researchers found that three lifestyle practices—diet, exercise, and quitting smoking—had the greatest effects on longevity. The highest consumption of fruits, vegetables, seafood, beans, and tea was recorded among Centenarians. In addition, they never smoked and regularly exercised with qi gong and running. (BMI and alcohol use had no bearing on a person’s ability to live beyond 100 years old.) It is crucial to remember that the findings simply identified a correlation and did not take into consideration the lives of the participants when they were younger. They do, however, imply that maintaining healthy habits may help prolong life even in later years.