They join four other risk factors smoking, excessive alcohol, bad diet and physical inactivity that can shorten our lives. In fact, the six combined account for one-third of all the years lost when people die prematurely, researchers reckon, and they are responsible for two-thirds of all deaths worldwide each year. For the first time in human history, non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and cancer, both of which can be caused by a poor lifestyle have overtaken infectious diseases as the major killer.
The new risks have been added following a major research programme that involved 231,000 people who were 45 years and older, which was carried out by researchers at the University of Sydney. Although the risks are not equal in their impact on our longevity, the researchers have found that they tend to cluster in people, so heavy smokers also tend to drink too much alcohol, while a sedentary person won`t get sufficient exercise.
(Source: PLoS Medicine, 2015; 12(12): e1001917)
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