New Study Finds The Exact Age Bad Health Habits Catch Up To You

Friends out drinkingIf you want to decrease your risk of dementia, Frontiers says midlife may be the most crucial period – exercising more, getting enough sleep, and avoiding alcohol are key steps at this life stage.But when do the effects of poor health choices start to show up? That’s a question a new paper, published in the Annals of Medicine, sought to answer.A long-running longitudinal study following hundreds of Finnish children born in Jyväskylä in 1959, which tracked participants ’til their early 60s, was key to the research.Scientists looked at their physical and mental health reports from 27 and compared the results to those seen at 36, 42, 50 and 61. They found that the effects of bad habits started to be felt as young as 36 – though they weren’t irreversible.Which health factors did they measure?Looking at factors like blood pressure, waist size, cholesterol, and psychological wellbeing, the team found that “the cumulative association of earlier risky behaviours exists already at age 36 and not only in the later phases of midlife.” The three main “risky behaviours” the researchers watched out for were smoking, heavy drinking and lack of exercise. Overall, a lack of exercise was especially linked to poor physical health, while smoking was most associated with poor mental health and heavy alcohol consumption was associated with declines in both.The paper’s lead author, Dr Tiia Kekäläinen, said that “Non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and cancer cause almost three-quarters of deaths worldwide.”But, she added. “By following a healthy lifestyle, an individual can cut their risk of developing these illnesses and reduce their odds of an early death.“Our findings highlight the importance of tackling risky health behaviours, such as smoking, heavy drinking and physical inactivity, as early as possible to prevent the damage they do from building up over the years, culminating in poor mental and physical health later in life.” Can I reverse the damage of bad habits?Dr Tiia Kekäläinen says, “It is never too late to change to healthier habits. Adopting healthier habits in midlife also has benefits for older age.” A 2024 Mayo Clinic article discussed a paper which found that even those who picked up their first weight at 70 saw muscle-rebuilding benefits, for instance. You also likely do not need to do as much exercise as you may think, or as often, to see results.The NHS said that no matter how long you’ve been smoking, quitting will lower your cardiovascular and heart health risks in a year. A 2009 paper found that even in the most severe cases of alcohol-related illness, stopping drinking can almost double survival rates.The NHS also stated that cutting down your alcohol consumption, rather than cutting it out entirely, can provide a serious health boost to most of us, too. In other words, as the saying goes, the best time to quit unhealthy habits was yesterday – the second-best time is now.Related...I Tried 'Anti-Ageing' Workouts For A Month – Here's How It WentBrain Ageing Comes In Waves At These 3 Ages, Science SaysThese 2 Lifestyle Factors Affect Longevity And Ageing The Most

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