A new British study once again serves to highlight the dangers of cigarette smoking, this time in males. But it is not just the smokes. Adding high cholesterol and heart disease into the mix can shorten male’s expected lifespan by 10-15 years after the age of 50.

The study, conducted at Oxford University, used data from the Whitehall study, which recorded health data about 19,000 male civil servants from 1970 onwards. When the study began, almost 40 years ago, the men ranged in age from 40-69.

According to Dr Robert Clarke, who is a member of the Clinical Trial Service Unit at the University of Oxford and led the study he and his colleagues have been able to demonstrate that men, who at the age of fifty smoke, have elevated cholesterol levels and demonstrate a raised blood pressure level on a consistent basis can be expected to live on average to the age of 74, while those who do not have any of these risk factors can live on average to the age of 83.

He says that they were further able to refine their research by computing a risk score for each individual participant that included body mass index and diabetes as well.” Looking at those at the extremes, we find that the 5% with the highest risk scores have a 15 year reduced life expectancy compared to the 5% with the lowest scores.” he concludes.

Death rates from heart disease, and to a somewhat lesser degree diabetes have been steadily declining in the United Kingdom since the 1970s, attributable many feel to a decrease in the number of people who smoke, better attention to daily diet and improvements in cardiovascular medicine. The Whitehall Study however was set up at a time when the diseases were at their peak, and was a government initiative to study the effects of smoking and cholesterol levels.  Way back in 1970 the participants completed a short medical survey and underwent a basic medical exam.

Thanks to funding from the British Heart Foundation the medical records of 18,863 of the studies original participants were tracked and in 1997 7,044 surviving participants were medically reexamined.

According to Dr Clarke the study data gives people a more practical approach to viewing the effects of their behavior on their lives. It shows in a simple manner” if you stop smoking or take measures to deal with high blood pressure or body weight, it will translate into increased life expectancy.” he says.