The five minor health problems that could take years off your life

LONELINESS and losing your sense of smell are among the ‘hidden killers’ that could deny you a long and healthy life.

Broken sleep and difficulty walking also appear on the list, compiled by us researchers.

Even something as seemingly innocuous as an arm broken in middle-age may affect the odds of dying years later.

The researchers say these five factors are just as important as obvious medical conditions such as weight, blood pressure and heart disease. in fact, being obese won’t necessarily send you to an early grave. And age, it seems, really is just a number.

Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of sciences, the Chicago university researchers said we must look at a person as a whole if we are to accurately judge their health.

The team, which included psychologists, sociologists and doctors specialising in the care of the elderly, analysed a mountain of data on the health and habits of 3,000 men and women aged between 57 and 85.

This included details about ‘standard’ conditions they had such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, as well as information about factors such as loneliness, ease of walking and the strength of the various senses, including smell.

including the extra information provided a much more accurate picture about which of the volunteers was likely to have died or become very infirm over the following five years. it also allowed the researchers to divide the men and women into six groups, from the most healthy to the least healthy.

These held some surprises. The members of the healthiest group were all overweight – and despite them having only a 6 per cent chance of dying or becoming very unwell, high blood pressure was also common.

However, psychological health, mobility and the sense of smell were all good and the researchers said that if an older adult is otherwise healthy, obesity ‘seems to pose very little risk’.

Another group, which had a 14 per cent chance of death or very bad health, was distinguished by its members having broken a bone after the age of 45.

They were at higher risk of osteoporosis in old age. However, they were very active and mobile and so it isn’t entirely clear that a break in middle-age is a sign of ill health to come. A third group had 19 per cent odds of death or very bad health, and was plagued by mental health problems, including stress, depression and loneliness, as well as sleep problems.

Previous research has found loneliness to be as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, with social isolation weakening the immune system while pushing up blood pressure.

Past studies suggest poor sense of smell may be a warning of ill health. if the olfactory nerve, which carries information from the nose to the brain, has become damaged and unable to repair itself, the brain and body may be in the same position.

Finally, age was a poor guide to health. researcher Dr William Dale said: ‘From a health system perspective, a shift of attention is needed from disease-focused management, such as medications for hypertension or high cholesterol, to overall well-being across many areas.’

However, doctors can’t throw away the rulebook yet. Despite the importance of the ‘hidden killers’, conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity were rife among those with the highest risk of death and ill health.

‘Loneliness as bad as smoking’