8 Habits That Can Add 24 Years to Your Life

And what about red wine?

Author

Yasmine S. Ali, MD
August 02, 2023

Hello again!

I’m back with your weekly dose of heart-health news!

I plan to send out this weekly update every Wednesday, except for the final Wednesday of the month, when the long magazine-style version of Speak for the Heart will be delivered to your inbox. As always, premium subscribers get bonus content in every issue!

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To your health,

Yasmine S. Ali, MD

Weekly Heart-Health News: The Highlights

Longevity: 8 habits can add 24 years to lifespan, new study finds

New longevity research suggests that eight simple, healthy habits, such as not smoking and being physically active, can add decades to one's life expectancy.

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8-healthy-longevity-habits-add-24-years-to-lifespan

My Take:

These 8 habits pretty well cover it—all the basic pillars of heart health and whole-body health and well-being! How many of them are you practicing? While the study cited here measured years added beginning at age 40, we know from several other studies that it’s never too late to begin living a healthy lifestyle, with years of healthspan (healthy quality of life, not just longevity) added no matter when you begin.

Quick Poll:

How many of the 8 healthy habits do you follow regularly?

(Your answer, as always, will remain anonymous.)

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Heart attack: Risk of death soars on days of heat and pollution

Recent research suggests that the combined effect of unusually high temperatures and airborne particles from uncontrolled wildfires may double the risk of having a fatal heart attack.

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/heart-attack-death-risk-may-double-during-heatwaves-with-high-pollution

My Take:

Unfortunately, the effects of climate change impact our individual health as well. Recent research has highlighted the very real risks to our hearts from air pollution, which is exacerbated with extreme heat. (This has led me to invest in a number of air purifiers for my own home; here are the 2 main ones I use [affiliate links]) :

I also use a HEPA-filter vacuum cleaner:

What causes cardiac arrest in young, seemingly healthy athletes like Bronny James? Dr. Celine Gounder explains

While cardiac arrest in athletes may not always make headlines, it occurs more often than many realize.

www.cbsnews.com/news/what-causes-cardiac-arrest-healthy-young-athletes-heart-attacks

My Take:

Bronny James’s on-court cardiac arrest made headlines last week, but this type of cardiac event in young athletes is more common than many people know. This article gives a good breakdown of the most prominent reasons for cardiac arrest in otherwise seemingly-healthy athletes.

Just one drink a day can raise blood pressure, study says | CNN

It’s often thought a bit of alcohol helps the heart. That’s not the case with blood pressure, says a new study that found as little as a drink a day can be harmful.

www.cnn.com/2023/07/31/health/alcohol-blood-pressure-wellness/index.html

My Take:

Alcohol consumption has long been linked to high blood pressure (hypertension), and this is one more study confirming it. A few years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) came out with a statement that “no amount” of alcohol could be deemed safe—this is one of the reasons why.

So what about the old adage of red wine being good for the heart? As it turns out, there have been no definitive studies showing cause-and-effect between drinking red wine and avoiding heart disease. In fact, it may actually be the associations with red wine—being in the company of friends; or eating a healthy diet to go with it; or being a person who is more likely to be educated, physically active, and socioeconomically stable—that are the real factors contributing to a lower risk of heart disease in red-wine drinkers, not the alcohol itself.

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