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Middle Aged Men Lose 10 To 15 Years Of Life If They Smoke, Have High Blood Pressure And Cholesterol, Large Study 

Middle aged men who smoke, have high blood pressure and high cholesterol can expect to live 10 to 15 years less than their healthy counterparts, according to a large UK study that followed nearly 19,000 men for 38 years.

These are the conclusions of a study published 17 September in the British Medical Journal, BMJ. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) sponsored the study, which was led by the University of Oxford.

The findings come from the "Whitehall" study which has been following 19,000 men aged 40 to 69 employed in the civil service in London since they enrolled in 1967-70 when they underwent initial medical exams. The BHF funded the follow up exams and health records.

The researchers found that the presence of three heart disease risk factors in men aged 50 could result in a reduced life expectancy of 10 to 15 years. The three key heart disease risk factors are: smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

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