Q: I recently read a newspaper article that says a new study has shown that lifestyle has nothing to do with longevity. Are you aware of this study? What can you say about its findings? -Teresa J., Iloilo City

MANILA, Philippines -- A: The study you are referring to was conducted by a group of researchers headed by Dr. Nir Barzilai at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York and whose findings were published in the August 3, 2011 online issue of the Journal of the American Geriatric Society. In the study, researchers interviewed 477 Ashkenazi Jews who were between 95 to 109 years old about their habits at age 70, which more or less represent the lifestyle they followed most of their adult life and compared these with the health habits (as gathered from a data base that was compiled between 1971-74) of 3,164 people born around the same time as the members of the study group and who have all since died.

What did the researcher’s comparative studies reveal? The lifestyles of those in the group of longer-lived men and women were no different from those in the group of the shorter-lived ones. The percentage of people who were overweight, who smoke, who did not exercise, who drank and who did not mind their diet was about equal in both groups. Evidently, the older folks lived unhealthy lives like the rest of us do. So what is the secret to their longevity? Their genes, of course. In fact, more than two-thirds of the people in the long-lived group have a family history of longevity.

Actually, the study has not really revealed anything new at all. It has long been established that genes play a role in the development of practically all forms of diseases. Genes determine who are more susceptible and who can fight cancer better, that is why there are lucky people who smoke all their lives yet die of old age instead of cancer. Similarly, genes determine who can fight off infections better. Genes are likewise major determinants in the development of coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and a host of other chronic health conditions. We of course also know that genes determine skin, eye and hair color and maximum height. It is therefore not surprising to now know that genes also determine maximum lifespan.

Are the findings of the study reason enough to junk the healthy lifestyle practices that experts recommend? Certainly not.  The study simply proved that if you have exceptional genes you can live up to 95 years or longer even if you do not lead a very healthy lifestyle. But if what you inherited are ordinary genes, the case for most of us, then you need to help your genes if you wish to survive to your late 80s. And the way to help your genes is to follow the commandments of healthy living:

• Don’t smoke.

• Exercise regularly

• Maintain a desirable body weight

• Adopt a balanced diet that is low-salt, low-fat and high in fibers.

• Drink alcohol in moderation

• Rest and sleep well

• Learn to handle stress

• Protect yourself from the sun

• Avoid polluted air

• Take your maintenance medicines, if you have any

• See your doctor regularly

Incidentally, that a healthy lifestyle contributes to a longer lifespan has been shown by studies among Seventh Day Adventists and vegetarians, known for their healthy choices, which show that following good health habits could add up to eight more years of life.

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