This cohort study followed 2235 healthy men aged 45-59 starting in 1979, in Caerphilly, UK. During the following 30 years, incident diabetes, vascular disease, cancer, and death were recorded, and cognitive state was determined. The results showed that men who followed four or five of the healthy lifestyle behaviours (non-smoking, an acceptable BMI, a high fruit and vegetable intake, regular physical activity, and low/moderate alcohol intake) had an odds ratio (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) for diabetes, corrected for age and social class, of 0.50. For vascular disease the OR was 0.50, and there was a delay in vascular disease events of up to 12 years. Cancer incidence was not significantly related to lifestyle although there was a reduction associated with non-smoking (OR: 0.65). All cause mortality was reduced in men following four or five behaviours (OR 0.40). The OR for men following four or five healthy behaviours was 0.36 for cognitive impairment, and 0.36 for dementia. The adoption of a healthy lifestyle by men was low and appears not to have changed during the subsequent 30 years. The authors conclude that a healthy lifestyle is associated with increased disease-free survival and reduced cognitive impairment. PLoS One, December 2013. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081877
