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A major long-term study in the United States has found that adopting a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce the risk of developing multiple chronic diseases later in life.
Researchers analyzed data from the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) and its follow-up study, which tracked 1,173 adults with prediabetes for more than 20 years. Participants were divided into three groups: one received a placebo, another took the diabetes drug metformin, and the third followed a structured program of healthy eating, regular physical activity, and weight loss.
The findings, published in JAMA, showed that participants in the lifestyle intervention group had a 21% lower risk of developing multimorbidity — the presence of two or more chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, dementia, cancer, arthritis, kidney disease, stroke, depression, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Researchers found no significant long-term difference between the placebo group and the group treated with metformin. In contrast, the benefits of lifestyle changes persisted for many years after the active intervention ended.
“Preventing diabetes is critically important, but preventing the accumulation of multiple chronic diseases as people age may have even broader implications for quality of life,” said Marcel Salive of the U.S. National Institute on Aging.
The study's results remained consistent even after adjusting for factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, physical activity levels, and body mass index, strengthening confidence in the findings.
Although approximately 85% of participants eventually developed at least two chronic conditions, researchers noted that this reflects the overall impact of aging rather than a failure of the intervention.
The authors concluded that healthy eating and regular exercise remain among the most effective and accessible tools for disease prevention, emphasizing that even moderate long-term lifestyle changes can have a meaningful impact on health and quality of life in older age.
