Incredible facts
Scientists and researchers around the world have long been trying to find the secret to longevity.
One thing is clear: there are many factors that contribute to a person living to old age.
It is believed that genes determine life expectancy by 25-30 percent. This means that the remaining 70 percent depend on external factors and lifestyle.
Read also: The secrets of longevity from the oldest people on Earth
Are you one of the chosen ones? Here are some ways to determine by appearance that a person is destined to live a long life.
Human health and longevity
1. You look younger than your age
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The younger you look, the more likely you are to live a long life.For 7 years, experts studied 1,826 pairs of twins and found that a twin who looked older died sooner than someone who looked younger.
A study published in the British Medical Journal found that if the difference in appearance was even greater, an older twin was more likely to die sooner than the one who looked younger.
Scientists have found that perceived age is associated with telomeres, an important molecular biomarker of aging.
Shorter telomeres indicated rapid aging and have been linked to a number of diseases, including cancer. Those who looked younger had longer telomeres.
2. You don't accumulate fat in certain places
Having excess fat around the waist almost doubles your risk of mortality, even if your body weight is within the normal range.
A 2008 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine studied more than 350,000 people from Europe. Scientists have found that a waist greater than 120 cm in men and more than 100 cm in women almost doubles the risk of premature death compared to people who had a smaller waist (less than 80 cm) cm in men and less than 65 cm in women).
The thing is that excess fat accumulating in the waist and abdomen increases the risk of developing chronic diseases.
Scientists have not revealed why some people have a larger waist, but a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet and genetic predisposition can contribute to this.
3. You are not overweight
People with a body mass index above 35 have a 29 percent increased risk of death compared to those who are within the normal weight range.
This is the result that experts came to when they reviewed more than 100 studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The thing is that being overweight increases the risk of developing chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.
Gerontologist Yuri Konev confirms this fact. He identified one sign that was common to all centenarians – they were not overweight.
4. You keep your muscles toned
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Strength training strengthens your body, which not only helps you look better, but also increases your chances of living longer.
A study of 3,659 people by researchers at the University of California found that people with more lean muscle mass were less likely to die prematurely.
Experts believe that there is no reason to stop exercising as you age. Maintaining muscle mass will allow you to live much longer than those who are not in shape.
5. You have lots of birthmarks
Dermatologists have long noticed that people who had many moles were less likely to develop age spots, wrinkles, and other signs associated with aging.
They found the answer by studying telomeres in more than 900 pairs of twins over 15 years. Telomeres are strands of inactive DNA at the ends of each of our 46 chromosomes. They are longest at birth and shrink with age.
The shorter they are, the less time we have left. They shorten at different rates depending on genetic and other factors, such as smoking or the development of heart disease.
People who have more moles tend to have longer telomeres than people of the same age with fewer moles.
6. You've never smoked
One of the reasons why you can outlive a lot of people is pretty simple: you don't smoke. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who have never smoked live 10 years longer than those who are addicted to tobacco.
But even if you tried cigarettes when you were young, you will still outlive those who can't quit smoking if you quit before the midlife crisis.
This is because, according to data published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the risk of dying from smoking-related illnesses is reduced by 90% if you stop smoking before the age of 40.
7. You're getting enough sleep
According to a study by the University of California, the secret to longevity lies in sleeping well, namely about 7 hours each night.
The study, published in the British Journal of Medicine, analyzed data from more than 1 million people aged 30 to 102 for 6 years. They found that people who slept more than 8 hours or fewer than four hours each night died sooner than those who slept somewhere in between.
Interestingly, even people who slept only 5 hours lived longer, on average, than those who slept more than 8 hours. Those who got an average of 7 hours of sleep lived the longest.
8. You have a good balance
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A study on 53-year-old men and women published in the British Medical Journal found that a simple balance test can predict the risk of premature death.
See how long you can stand on one leg. And then count how many times you can sit and get up from your chair in one minute.
Men who could balance on one leg with their eyes closed for more than 10 seconds and get up from a chair more than 37 times per minute were much less likely to die prematurely than those who performed worse on this test.
The same goes for women, except they were able to sit and get out of their chairs more than 35 times a minute. Their risk of dying prematurely also decreased over the next 13 years.
9. You've got a strong handshake
Did you know that shaking hands can be very eloquent? A strong and firm handshake is considered a sign of self-confidence, but also an indication of your longevity.
Numerous studies have shown a link between grip strength and a lower risk of mortality.
A study published in The Lancet found that shaking hands is related to heart health, and a weak handshake can be an indicator of early death, disability, and mental health recession and illness.
10. You can get up off the floor without support
Another simple test for longevity: Using as little support as possible with your body, sit on the floor and try to stand off the floor without using support or arm support.
Take your time and do this exercise as best you can.
The Brazilian study, published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention, involved women and men aged 50 to 80 years.
The results showed that those who were able to sit and stand off the floor without hand support or using only one hand were less likely to die during the study.
At the same time, participants who needed support from both arms or leaned on their knees were 5-6 times more likely to die.