Health Discovery: Good Habits at Any Age

Photo: IPS Co., LTD/Beateworks/Corbis

Adults ages 65 to 85 who enjoy exceptional health are more likely than others to share certain traits: They’re married, female, have at least a high school education and are physically active. They’ve never smoked, drink only moderately and have a positive outlook.

So finds a study of more than 2,400 Canadians, published in the October Journal of Gerontology. The study by U.S. and Canadian researchers followed a randomly selected group of men and women for 10 years for clues on what makes some older people thrive.

It’s best to start good habits early. But better late than never, says study author Mark S. Kaplan, professor of community health at Oregon's Portland State University. “Even if you quit smoking in later adulthood ... there’s a robust body of evidence that shows you reduce risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease.”

Susan Morse, formerly with the Washington Post, writes about health and consumer issues.