Search resultsImpact of combined lifestyle factors on all-cause and cause-specific mortality and life expectancy in Chinese: the Singapore Chinese Health Study.
BACKGROUND: To examine the impact of combined lifestyle factors on premature mortality and life expectancy in Chinese adults.
METHODS: A total of 44,052 Chinese adults aged 45 to 74 years free of cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and diabetes were followed from recruitment (1993-1998) to the end of 2016 in the Singapore Chinese Health Study. A composite score (0-5 scale) was calculated based on five baseline healthy lifestyle factors including healthy diet, non-smoking status, light to moderate alcohol drinking, being physically active and optimal body mass index. Mortality cases were identified through linkage with the nationwide death registry.
RESULTS: Adopting five healthy versus none was associated with a lower risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality, and the hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) was 0.38 (0.29, 0.51) for all-cause mortality, 0.26 (0.13, 0.52) for CVD mortality, and 0.59 (0.37, 0.92) for cancer mortality. Non-adherence to 4-5 healthy lifestyle factors accounted for 34.9% (95% confidence interval: 29.2, 40.2) in population attributable fraction for all-cause mortality, 35.1% (23.7, 44.9) for CVD mortality, and 18.0% (6.5, 28.0) for cancer mortality. Conversely, adherence to 4-5 healthy lifestyle factors versus none could achieve a gain of 8.1 years in women and 6.6 years in men for the life expectancy at 50 years.
CONCLUSIONS: A healthier lifestyle is associated with a substantially reduced risk of mortality and a longer life expectancy in the Chinese population. Our findings highlight the necessity of coordinated actions targeting combined lifestyle factors in reducing the overall burden of diseases and premature deaths.