Clean Living Linked to Lower Mortality in Former Smokers - Medscape

People with a history of smoking who exercise regularly, eat nutritious foods, and maintain a healthy weight can reduce their risk for premature death by almost 30% compared with those who don't adopt such good habits, researchers have found. .

"Engaging in more aspects of a healthy lifestyle was associated with a lower risk of mortality than engaging in one aspect," said Maki Inoue-Choi, PhD, an epidemiologist at the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, who led the new study.

"Former smokers may benefit from engaging in one of the healthy lifestyle recommendations but receive an even larger benefit if they follow more of them." .

Former smokers who adhered to health recommendations were as much as 27% less likely to die over the study period than those who didn't follow the suggestions.

The risk for all-cause mortality was 12% lower for those who had average adherence to health recommendations and 4% lower for those who had slightly above average adherence, according to the researchers.

Overall mortality rates were lower among those who quit smoking earlier.

However, better adherence to the healthy lifestyle recommendations was associated with a lower risk for death regardless of when a person had quit smoking.

Previous studies have shown substantial health benefits to a healthier lifestyle and to quitting smoking.

"Former smokers are a large group of people who by nature of their quitting smoking may be especially motivated to adhere to other evidence-based healthy lifestyle recommendations," she said.