• Online Scheduling | Careers

Northwest Healthcare (AZ)
  • Quick Links
    • Find a Doctor
    • Services
      • Services

        • View All Services
        • Ambulatory Services
        • Bariatric Weight Loss Services
        • Behavioral Health
        • Critical Care Medicine
        • Diagnostic Imaging
        • Digestive Health
        • Emergency Services
        • Endocrinology
        • Heart Care
        • Laboratory Services
        • Maternity Care
        • Neurosurgery
        • Orthopedic Services
        • Pulmonology Care
        • Rehabilitation Services
        • Robotic Surgery
        • Skilled Nursing Care
        • Sleep Medicine
        • Spine Care
        • Stroke Care
        • Surgical Services
        • Urgent Care
        • Urology
        • Women's Health
          • Patients & Visitors
            • For Patients

              • Patients & Visitors
              • Award Nominations
              • Dining Information
              • Events
              • Financial Information
              • Going Home
              • Health Library
              • MDSave
              • Online Scheduling
              • Patient Portal
              • Request Medical Records
              • Spiritual Care
                • Careers
                • Locations
                  • Hospitals
                  • Inpatient Rehabilitation Centers
                  • Northwest Cardiology
                  • Northwest Primary & Specialty Care
                  • Northwest Tucson Surgery Center
                  • Outpatient Therapy
                  • Urgent Care & Walk-In Clinics
                  • Emergency Departments
                • About
                  • About

                    • About Us
                    • Careers
                    • Commitment to Our Community
                    • Community Benefits
                    • Contact Us
                    • Newsroom
                    • Quality & Safety
                    • Volunteer Opportunities
                      • Online Scheduling
                      • Online Bill Pay
                      • Patient Portal
                      • Events
                      • Graduate Medical Education
                      • Contact
                      • analog clock icon
                      • Avg ER Wait:
                        0 Min

                        About ER Wait Times
                      Home/About Us/Newsroom/Increase Quality of Life and Longevity with Healthy Habits

                      Refine Results

                      Affiliated Hospitals





                      About Us
                      Careers
                      Commitment to Our Community
                      Community Benefits
                      Contact Us
                      Newsroom
                      E-Newsletter Sign Up
                      2024 News Releases
                      2023 News Releases
                      2022 News Releases
                      2021 News Releases
                      2020 News Releases
                      2019 News Releases
                      2018 News Releases
                      2017 News Releases
                      2016 News Releases
                      2015 News Releases
                      Quality & Safety
                      ADA Accessibility Policy
                      Diversity Policy
                      Joint Commission Notice
                      Notice of Privacy Practices
                      Organized Health Care Arrangement Status
                      Patient Rights & Responsibilities
                      Privacy Policy
                      Safety Improvement
                      Terms & Conditions
                      Volunteer Opportunities
                      eNewsletter Redirect
                      Events
                      Events
                      Find a Doctor
                      Locations
                      Notice of Non-Discrimination
                      Patients & Visitors
                      Services
                      • information
                      • news
                      • Online Scheduling

                        Save Your Spot In Line
                      • E-Newsletter

                        Sign Up
                      • Erratic Sleep Puts Heart Health at Risk – Especially in Men

                        06.11.2025

                      • James Arrived “Scared” to Cardiac Rehab – but Left Triumphantly

                        06.11.2025

                      • See All News & Press Releases
                      • Online Scheduling

                        Anytime. Anywhere. Anycare.

                        Get in, get better, and get back to your life.

                        Learn More
                      • Sign Up For Our E-Newsletter

                        Sign Up For Our E-Newsletter

                        Featuring a monthly dose of information and inspiration for living well.

                        Learn More
                      • Nurse and Patient

                        Patient Portal

                        Access your medical information
                        on demand.

                        Learn More

                      Increase Quality of Life and Longevity with Healthy Habits

                      7/12/2022

                      Five simple healthy habits could be the secret to a longer life. According to a study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, people who adopt these habits by age 50 may live seven or more years longer than those who don’t – and those years are less likely to be affected by cardiovascular disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes.

                      The study analyzed 34 years of data on more than 100,000 adults to look for a correlation between healthy habits and the three chronic conditions above.

                      The results: Women who maintained at least four of the five healthy habits by the age of 50 lived an average of 34.4 more years free of the chronic conditions, while women who did not adopt the healthy habits lived an average of only 23.7 additional years – a difference of more than a decade.

                      The findings were similar in men. Men who adopted at least four of the five healthy habits by age 50 lived an average of 31.1 more years without the chronic conditions while men who did not lived an average of only 23.5 years.

                      “We all have the power to help prevent chronic diseases across our lifetimes,” says Diana Lu, M.D., a family medicine physician with Northwest Healthcare’s Northwest Primary Care at Houghton. “Through the five simple lifestyle changes, we can live longer, disease-free lives.”

                      The habits:

                      • Limit alcohol consumption: Alcohol is associated with a variety of short and long term health risks like headache and nausea, as well as high blood pressure and some cancers. Women should limit alcohol to no more than one serving per day, while men should limit it to no more than two servings per day.
                      • Eat high quality foods: Incorporate fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes into your diet. Limit red meat, sodium and sugar-sweetened drinks like sodas and juices (which are linked to weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease).
                      • Exercise daily: 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise can help manage stress as well as prevent stroke and coronary heart disease. Try taking a brisk walk or riding a bike on a smooth path to help elevate your heart rate and break a sweat.
                      • Maintain a normal BMI: Experts recommend maintaining a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9 to help avoid developing conditions linked to excess weight, like diabetes and arthritis.
                      • Never smoke: Over 16 million Americans live with diseases caused by smoking including cancer, COPD, and other types of lung disease. Smoking also hurts those exposed to the habit. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 41,000 nonsmoking adults and 400 infants die from second-hand smoke exposure each year. Protect yourself and loved ones from serious illness or death by totally abstaining.

                      “Small, simple changes adopted over time go a long way to increase our overall health as well as our lifespan – so we can enjoy all the years of our lives,” says Dr. Lu.

                      Back

                      Affiliated Hospitals

                      • Northwest Medical Center
                      • Northwest Medical Center Houghton
                      • Northwest Medical Center Sahuarita
                      • Oro Valley Hospital
                      • ADA Accessibility Policy
                      • Terms & Conditions
                      • Privacy Policy
                      • Change Your Privacy Choices
                      • Notice of Privacy Practices
                      • Patient Rights & Responsibilities
                      • Price Transparency

                      Copyright ©2025. All rights reserved.

                      An AllianceHealth Oklahoma® hospital

                      Services

                      • Ambulatory Services
                      • Bariatric Weight Loss Services
                      • Behavioral Health
                      • Critical Care Medicine
                      • Diagnostic Imaging
                      • Digestive Health
                      • Emergency Services
                      • Endocrinology
                      • Heart Care
                      • Laboratory Services
                      • Maternity Care
                      • Neurosurgery
                      • Orthopedic Services
                      • Pulmonology Care
                      • Rehabilitation Services
                      • Robotic Surgery
                      • Skilled Nursing Care
                      • Sleep Medicine
                      • Spine Care
                      • Stroke Care
                      • Surgical Services
                      • Urgent Care
                      • Urology
                      • Women's Health

                      Patients & Visitors

                      • Award Nominations
                      • Dining Information
                      • Events
                      • Financial Information
                      • Going Home
                      • Health Library
                      • MDSave
                      • Online Scheduling
                      • Patient Portal
                      • Request Medical Records
                      • Spiritual Care

                      About Us

                      • Careers
                      • Commitment to Our Community
                      • Community Benefits
                      • Contact Us
                      • Newsroom
                      • Quality & Safety
                      • Volunteer Opportunities

                      Notice of Nondiscrimination
                      • English,
                      • አማርኛ,
                      • العربية,
                      • বাংলা,
                      • ျမန္မာဘာသာ,
                      • tsalagi gawonihisdi,
                      • 繁體中文,
                      • Chahta,
                      • Oroomiffa,
                      • Nederlands,
                      • Français,
                      • Kreyòl Ayisyen,
                      • Deutsch,
                      • ગુજરાતી,
                      • हिंदी,
                      • Hmoob,
                      • Igbo asusu,
                      • Ilokano,
                      • Italiano,
                      • 日本語,
                      • 한국어,
                      • Ɓàsɔ́ɔ̀‑wùɖù‑po‑nyɔ̀,
                      • ພາສາລາວ,
                      • Kajin Ṃajōḷ,
                      • ខ្មែរ,
                      • Diné Bizaad,
                      • नेपाली,
                      • Deitsch,
                      • فارسی,
                      • Polski,
                      • Português,
                      • ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
                      • Română,
                      • Русский,
                      • Gagana fa'a Sāmoa,
                      • Srpsko‑hrvatski,
                      • Español,
                      • ܣܘܼܪܸܬ݂,
                      • Tagalog,
                      • ภาษาไทย,
                      • Türkçe,
                      • Українська,
                      • اُردُو,
                      • Tiếng Việt,
                      • èdè Yorùbá,
                      • עִברִית
                      Loading... Loading...