Researchers have taken another look at the famous Whitehall study of over 18,000 middle-aged London men and found that a single measurement of three factors predicted mortality better than any other measures. Those with the three risk factors, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking, had three times the risk of death from cardiovascular problems and a life expectancy that was ten years shorter than those without the three risk factors. The men were examined in 1967-1970 and followed for 38 years. The 4811 surviving subjects were reexamined in 1997.
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From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by mrmunchies.
Dr Robert Clarke (University of Oxford, UK) and colleagues report their findings online September 17, 2009 in BMJ. And when they used more extreme categorization of risk factors, including body-mass index (BMI), diabetes mellitus/glucose intolerance, and employment grade, life expectancy differed by up to 15 years.
Clarke says there has been uncertainty about the limits of life expectancy and the relevance of cardiovascular risk factors for its prediction. "What is unique about this study is the prolonged follow-up; it enables us to put a figure on the life-limiting effects of these risk factors," he told heartwire.
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(image credit: Flickr user Thomas Hawk)
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by mrmunchies.
I never liked fat food, so that's also not really my thing.
I never put salt in my food and I really eat a balanced dinner and however ADHD I sometimes am, I'm not very stressed- So there goes my chance at high bloodpressure.
But I still don't want to have a long life...!
...Guess I'll stick to riding my motorbike in all weather and doing high-risk sports...
I for one decided to live my life to the fullest, and will be happy to lodge a bullet in my skull whenever I feel I'm going downhill.