The Latest Medical News

A Summary of The Latest Medical News: **Sleep Tops the List for Longevity—Beating Out Diet and Exercise, New OHSU Study Reveals** A groundbreaking study from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) shows that **insufficient sleep** is the leading factor reducing life expectancy across U.S. counties—second only to smoking.[1][2] Researchers analyzed data from the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys spanning 2019 to 2025, comparing county-level sleep habits with average life expectancies.[1][2] **The key finding:** Counties with higher rates of insufficient sleep—defined as less than seven hours per night—had significantly shorter life expectancies, even after accounting for smoking, poor diet, inactivity, and other risks.[1][2] In statistical models, sleep insufficiency showed a stronger negative link to lifespan than diet or exercise, with a correlation coefficient of b = -0.17 (p < .001).[1] This held true in nearly all states: 100% showed significant associations by 2024, and lower sleep problems predicted longer lives everywhere except three states in 2025.[1] **Senior author Andrew McHill, Ph.D.**, an associate professor at OHSU's School of Nursing, Medicine, and Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, called the results striking.[2] “I didn’t expect it to be so strongly correlated to life expectancy,” McHill said. “People really should strive to get seven to nine hours of sleep if at all possible.”[2] The study, published in *SLEEP Advances*, marks the first to track yearly sleep-life expectancy ties across every U.S. state, building on prior evidence that poor sleep raises mortality risk.[1][2] **Why sleep matters so much:** Scientists note it outperforms factors like loneliness in driving longevity, though the exact mechanisms—beyond broad health benefits—remain under study.[2] The work was led by graduate students in OHSU's Sleep, Chronobiology and Health Laboratory.[2] **Practical takeaway for readers:** Aim for that recommended seven-to-nine-hour sweet spot nightly, as endorsed by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine—your lifespan may thank you.[2] Help with your insurance? https://tally.so/r/n012P9