Research has shown: Keep moving and continue learning and reading if you want to live longer

A recent study published in Nature Communications has revealed that staying in shape and continually learning new things can extend the life span of a person

A team of researchers at the University of Edinburgh has collected data from more than 600,000 people, as well as records of their parents' life expectancy as part of the study. The research team was able to identify certain factors that greatly affect life expectancy. The results have shown that smoking cigarettes and diabetes-related markers play a central role in reducing the person's life expectancy. According to findings, people who are heavy smokers have an increased risk of reducing their life expectancy for seven years.

Likewise, overweight and other signs of diabetes are negatively involved in reducing life expectancy. Two new genes that affect the heart and the immune system have also been found to reduce life expectancy for about eight months and a half. However, adopting healthier habits, such as smoking cessation and weight loss, can help increase the person's expected life expectancy.

Scientists have also noticed that people who learn all their life and are open for new things increase their expected life expectancy. "Our research has estimated the causal consequences of lifestyle choices. We found that, on average, smoking daily reduces life expectancy by seven years, while only one kilogram weight loss will increase life expectancy for two months, "said Dr. Peter Joshi, researcher at Science Daily.

Second study reveals the link between reading and longevity Recent findings coincide with data from previous studies that show that reading can actually increase the life span of a person. As part of the study, a team of researchers surveyed 3635 people aged between 50 and over. The research team then categorized the participants into three groups. One group read about 3.5 hours or more per week, while the other groups read about 3.5 hours a week or did not read at all.

The results have shown that participants reading more than 3.5 hours a week have 23 percent less chance of dying during a 12-year period. Likewise, those who read up to 3.5 hours a week had a 17 percent reduced risk of mortality. In addition, 33 percent of non-readers died during the follow-up compared to just 27 percent of readers. The research team also noted that book readers lived 108 months after the deadline, which was a strong contrast to those who did not read books that lived only 85 months after the deadline.

According to researchers, reading a book can provide a 23-month survival benefit. Scientists also found that reading books instead of journals and newspapers resulted in longer lifespan among participants. "Cognitive engagement can explain why vocabulary, thinking, concentration, and critical thinking skills improve by exposing the book. Reading books can stimulate empathy, social perception and emotional intelligence, which are cognitive processes that can lead to longer lives ... The benefits of reading books include the longer life we read them ... The robustness of our discoveries suggests that reading a book can not only bring some interesting ideas and characters, but it can also allow more years to read, "the researchers concluded.

• 2 Aug, 2018
• 9419 views