With the Olympics going on there is a lot of talk about gold medals and perfect 10s. But in life’s Olympics, you only need to get a 7 for the gold.
I’ve been teaching my patients about these 7 points for years; and now the American Heart Association (AHA) has studied these 7 metrics that will determine how long and how well you will live. That’s right — get these 7 habits and metrics right and you will significantly have a healthier life and lower your risk of death. Here they are:
- Never smoked or quit smoking for more than 12 months
- BMI < 25 kg/m2
- Eat lots of vegetables, fruits and fiber-rich whole grains; Eat < 1,500 mg/day of sodium; Limit sugar-sweetened beverages
- Get moderate or vigorous activity > 150 minutes/week
- Total serum cholesterol < 200 mg/dL
- Systolic blood pressure (top number) < 120 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (bottom number) < 80 mmHg
- Fasting blood glucose < 100 mg/dL or Hemoglobin A1C < 5.7%
These seven habits and metrics were based on following 7,622 adults who only had to be 20 years old or more. Then they looked at how many of these seven things people met and reported on their likelihood of death.
People who met 5 or more of these 7 metrics had a 78% reduction in dying from any cause and an 88% reduction in dying from heart attack and stroke.
In particular, not smoking or stop smoking for 12 months (that’s right – quit for a year or more and it increases your life span), Hemoglobin A1C < 5.7%, peoples diets and how much they exercised mattered most.
How many of these 7 habits and metrics do you meet? The more or these 7 habits and metrics you meet, the longer and healthier you will live.
And the sooner you get these metrics and habits in place, the better.
In another study of 2,327 college-educated men and women at least 60 years of age, the investigators studied 3 lifestyle risk factors for death and disability over 20 years:
- BMI > 25 kg/m2
- Current smoking
- Physical inactivity – never exercising enough to work up a sweat.
So this is your triathlon; control your weight, don’t smoke or stop smoking and keep physically active, and you will delay having a disability for 8.3 years and reduce your likelihood of dying.
Now that’s Olympic Gold.
Click Here to get free access to my Health Accelerator video series and learn more tips and tests on how to stay well and how to prepare for your annual exam, Share this with your friends and relatives.
