A healthy lifestyle means lower long-term risk of Covid, study says.

According to a new study, people who had a healthy lifestyle before their COVID-19 infection may have a lower long-term risk of contracting COVID-19 than their peers.

The study, published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, examined nearly 2,000 women who reported a positive COVID-19 test between April 2020 and November 2021. Participants were enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study II, which surveyed more than 100,000 Americans. . Nurses since 1989.

The researchers looked at six lifestyle factors they identified as healthy: a body mass index of 18.5 to 24.7, not smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, a high-quality diet, seven to seven hours per night. Nine hours of sleep, and at least 150 minutes. one day. A week of moderate physical activity.

They found that a healthy lifestyle before infection was associated with a lower risk of symptoms of Covid-19 lasting four weeks or longer. Women who met five or six of the criteria for a healthy lifestyle had about half the long-term risk of Covid-19 compared to women who met none of the criteria.

“These associations were primarily driven by healthy body weight and adequate sleep,” the researchers wrote in the study.

Women who had a healthy lifestyle and became very ill with Covid had a 30% lower risk of symptoms that interfered with daily life.

The researchers hypothesized that the findings may be partly explained by the relationship between these lifestyle factors and chronic inflammation, immune or blood clotting problems.

However, they also noted that the generalizability of the study was limited because only white middle-aged nurses were looked at. Other limitations include the use of self-reported data and a lack of understanding of different coronavirus strains and the long-term risk of Covid.

Previous research has linked lifestyle factors to increased risks of serious Covid-19 infection, hospitalization or death, as well as overall morbidity and mortality.

“In recent years, scientists have accumulated evidence that a healthy lifestyle is good for overall health. But in the United States, for example, 70% of the population has an unhealthy body weight and 30% don’t get enough sleep. ” “The results of this study suggest that simple lifestyle changes, such as getting enough sleep, may be beneficial in the long-term prevention of Covid,” the Chen School of Public Health said in a statement.