Low Heart Risk at 42, Less Frailty and More Well-Being at 79
Graded Moderate — decades-long observation of 2,690 healthy men; men only, cannot show cause and effect, and only 63 percent responded in old age.
- Design
- Prospective cohort study
- Participants
- 2,690
- Duration
- —
- Funding
- Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation; Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation…
Men with low heart and blood vessel risk in their early forties were much less often frail at age 79.
Healthy habits are known to add years to life. But do they also make those years better? Few studies have followed people across a whole lifetime to find out. This one did, in men. Men who scored well on five heart risk factors in their early forties were far less often frail at 79: 2.2 percent, compared with 24.5 percent of men with none of these favorable values.
The researchers examined 2,690 healthy men born between 1919 and 1934. They checked whether the men did not smoke and had a normal weight. They also checked whether blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar after a sugary drink were low. The more of these boxes the men ticked, the more of them reached age 90. With all five, 41.9 percent did, compared with 6.8 percent with none.
In 2007, the researchers surveyed the survivors again. Men with all five favorable values more often reported good psychological well-being and rated their quality of life better in several areas. Whether the values themselves made the difference cannot be read from this: the men were only observed. No women took part.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure: One author received fees from drug and food companies including Orion Pharma, Amgen, Novartis and Valio.
Disclaimer: Research summaries are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health routine.