Sleep, nutrition and exercise changes may extend lifespan, study suggests

A U.K. cohort study using nearly 60,000 participants and statistical modeling found that very small increases in sleep, moderate-to-vigorous activity and vegetable intake were associated with about one extra year of modeled lifespan versus the lowest-performing group, while an optimal profile was modeled to add about nine years. Researchers and outside statisticians emphasized the analysis is observational and cannot prove causation.

A large U.K. study modeled how very small changes in sleep, exercise and diet could affect expected lifespan. Researchers analyzed data from almost 60,000 people in the UK Biobank and reported their results in eClinicalMedicine on Jan. 13. The team used statistical modeling to link short-term measurements of habits to predicted overall and healthy lifespan. The analysis focused on modest changes such as five extra minutes of sleep, two extra minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity and an additional half serving of vegetables per day. Key findings: - The model found that people with about five extra minutes of sleep, two extra minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity and a half serving more vegetables per day had roughly one additional year of overall lifespan compared with the cohort's lowest-performing 5%, according to the study's calculations. - Participants with an optimal combination in the model—about 40 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity, seven to eight hours of sleep, and an overall healthy diet—were estimated to gain about nine extra years of overall and healthy lifespan versus the poorest 3%. - Habit measurements were limited: sleep and activity were recorded for up to one week and diet was assessed only at baseline, and the analysis assumes those patterns persisted long term. - The study is observational cohort research using statistical modeling; authors and an external statistician noted it does not establish that the habit changes caused the modeled lifespan differences and that unmeasured factors (for example, socioeconomic status or environmental differences) could play a role. - Lead author Nicholas Koemel and others suggested small improvements across behaviors can have combined effects, and they described further research as needed to confirm the modeled outcomes. Summary: The study's model links very small, combined improvements in sleep, physical activity and diet to measurable increases in predicted lifespan, while an optimal behavior profile corresponded to larger modeled gains. Because habit data were limited in duration and the research is observational, the findings indicate an association rather than proven cause. Further research is needed to test whether similar effects occur when habits change over time.