Longevity and vitality

As we age, our bodies and minds undergo significant changes. Our metabolism slows down, our muscles weaken, and we may face various health changes. However, many of these things are not inevitable, and there are things we can do to enhance our vitality and potentially extend our lifespan.

Vitality refers to our energy, strength and overall well-being; it encompasses physical, mental and emotional aspects of health and translates into the ability to engage in everyday activities with ease and joy. Longevity, however, refers to the length of time we live.

While our genes significantly influence longevity and vitality, numerous lifestyle factors affect our outcomes.

Researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health looked at five lifestyle-related factors: healthy diet, regular exercise (at least 30 minutes daily of moderate to vigorous activity), healthy weight (as defined by a body mass index of 18.5-24.9), no smoking, and average alcohol intake (up to 1 drink daily for women, and up to 2 daily for men) as reported by 78,865 female and 44,354 male participants[1]. For each risk factor, the participants received a score of 1 if the risk was low or 0 if the risk was high. By adding these scores, the participants were ranked between 0 and 5, with a higher score indicating a healthier life. The researchers estimated that adherence to five low-risk lifestyle-related factors could prolong life expectancy at age 50 by 14.0 and 12.2 years for female and male US adults, compared to individuals who adopted zero low-risk lifestyle factors.

This result was broadly consistent with other studies showing that a healthy lifestyle was associated with an estimated greater life expectancy of 8.3 (females) and 10.3 (males) years in Japan, 17.9 years in Canada, 13.9 years (females) and 17.0 years (males) in Germany, and 14 years difference in chronological age in the UK.

Data from three European cohorts from Denmark, Germany and Norway suggested that males and females aged 50 years with a favourable lifestyle would live 7.4 –15.7 years longer than those with an unfavourable lifestyle.

There are only prospective studies looking at the effect of lifestyle on longevity for people adopting a healthy lifestyle earlier in life. Still, it won't be unreasonable to assume that early adoption of a healthy lifestyle may be associated with even more significant benefits for longevity.

Of course, longevity is not just about adding years to your life but adding life to your years; it is also about vitality. Vitality is more significant in the absence of chronic disease. The researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health did a follow-up study[2] in 2020, and the research group looked at how these factors might contribute to not only a longer but also healthier life. They found that women at age 50 who practised four or five healthy habits lived about 34 more years free of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, compared with 24 more disease-free years in women who practised none of these healthy habits. Men practising four or five healthy habits at age 50 lived about 31 years free of chronic disease, compared with 24 years among men who practised none.

All these practices can help you enhance your quality of life and potentially extend your life span. By investing in your health and well-being early, you can enjoy a more vibrant, fulfilling life at any age.

[1] Li et al., BMJ, 2018. [2] Li et al., BMJ, 2020.