Key points from article :
Researchers from Oxford Population Health studied the long-term relationship between heart disease risk factors and life expectancy.
They used data from the Whitehall study, which collected information from male civil servants in London over a 50-year period.
The study confirmed that traditional heart disease risk factors (smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes) strongly predict the risk of death from heart disease and stroke, even in older age.
Individuals with the lowest number of risk factors had a significantly lower risk of dying from heart disease over their lifetime compared to those with higher risk factors.
People with the fewest heart disease risk factors lived an average of 12 years longer after age 50 than those with the highest number of risk factors.
This research, published in the journal Public Health, emphasizes the continued importance of managing heart disease risk factors throughout life to promote healthy aging and longevity.
