Five low-risk lifestyle factors associated with 14-year life expectancy gain in women, 12-year gain in men, in US cohort study.
This prospective cohort study followed 123,219 US nurses and health professionals for up to 34 years to examine whether five modifiable lifestyle factors—never smoking, healthy weight, regular physical activity, moderate alcohol use, and high-quality diet—were associated with mortality and life expectancy. Adults who maintained all five low-risk factors had substantially lower mortality rates (74% lower all-cause mortality hazard ratio) and lived an average of 12–14 years longer beyond age 50 compared to those with none of these factors. The study combined follow-up data with national health surveys and mortality databases to project life expectancies for the US population.
What this changes
The finding has not established an approved change to our evidence assessment.
Source date: Jul 24, 2018 · Discovered: Sep 15, 2026 · Assessed: — · Research update
What it does not prove
- Limitations have not yet been verified. Read the primary source.
Extracted from supplied source material; model confidence is not a measured probability of correctness.
Study details
- Design
- Cohort
- Sample size
- 123,219
- Duration
- 408 months
- Population
- US adults from the Nurses' Health Study (1980-2014; women, n=78,865) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2014; men, n=44,354)
- Primary outcome
- All-cause mortality
- Effect size
- Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for five versus zero low-risk factors: all-cause mortality 0.26 (95% CI, 0.22-0.31); cancer mortality 0.35 (95% CI, 0.27-0.45); cardiovascular disease mortality 0.18 (95% CI, 0.12-0.26). Life expectancy at age 50 years: women 43.1 years (95% CI, 41.3-44.9) versus 29.0 years (95% CI, 28.3-29.8); men 37.6 years (95% CI, 35.8-39.4) versus 25.5 years (95% CI, 24.7-26.2). Difference in life expectancy: women 14.0 years (95% CI, 11.8-16.2); men 12.2 years (95% CI, 10.1-14.2).
- Significance
- Significant
- Journal
- Circulation
- Published
- Jul 24, 2018
Funding: Not reported
Conflicts: Not reported
Sources
Primary source
- Circulation ↗Peer reviewed
Assessment history
9/23/2026 · SUPERSEDED: Source updated; assessment withdrawn pending review.
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