Diet, Lifestyle and Mortality
ScienceDaily reports on a study demonstrating the large difference that good diet and lifestyle choices have on health and life span. "The researchers found that adhering to a Mediterranean diet was associated with a 23 percent lower risk of all-cause death; moderate alcohol use, a 22 percent lower risk; physical activity, a 37 percent lower risk; and nonsmoking, a 35 percent lower risk. Similar results were observed for death from coronary heart disease, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Having all four low risk factors lowered the all-cause death rate by 65 percent." This study was for people in the 70-90 age range, but the lessons apply to us all - better lifestyle choices now greatly reduce the risk of suffering age-related disease later.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/09/040922071339.htm