Don't Smoke, Maintain Healthy Cholesterol Levels, Drink Less Coffee to Live Longer

Refraining from smoking, maintaining healthy cholesterol levels and having not more than four cups of coffee a day can help you live to 100-years, revealed researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, who tracked the health of 855 Swedish men for the past 50 years. The first survey was conducted in 1963. Researchers conducted various surveys at the age of 54, 60, 65, 75, 80 and 100 to consider the factors that appear to promote longevity. A total of 27% (232) of the original study group lived to the age of 80 and 13% (111) to 90, while 1.1% of the subjects made it to their 100th birthday. Now that it has been determined that 10 of the men lived to 100, the study is being wrapped up and the researchers believe that conclusions can be drawn about the secrets to their longevity.

Lars Wilhelmsen, who has been involved in the study for the past 50 years, said, "The unique design has enabled us to identify the factors that influence survival after the age of 50. Our recommendation for people who aspire to centenarianism is to refrain from smoking, maintain healthy cholesterol levels and confine themselves to four cups of coffee a day. It also helps if you paid a high rent for a flat or owing a house at age 50 (indicating good socio-economic standard), enjoy robust working capacity at a bicycle test when you are 54 and have a mother who lived for a long time. Our findings that there is a correlation with maternal but not paternal longevity are fully consistent with a previous studies."

The findings appear in the Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal.

Source-Medindia