More Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Middle-Age Reduce Life Expectancy

While life expectancy depends on many factors, a research team in the United Kindom has found that cardiovascular health plays a major contributing role.  Robert Clarke, from University of Oxford (United Kingdom), and colleagues studied data collected on 18,863 male civil service workers in London, England, ages 40 to 69 years at the study's start, following them for a 38-year long study period.  The team found that the men in the top 5% for overall cardiovascular risk score had a 15-year shorter life expectancy from age 50, as compared to thosee in the bottom 5% for risk.  Three of the most important factors -- smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol -- together reduced lifespan by 10 years for 50-year-old men. Conclude the researchers: "Baseline differences in risk factors were associated with 10 to 15 year shorter life expectancy from age 50."