Heart surgeon names 5 things to avoid to slow down ageing — alcohol not on the list

A heart surgeon has named five things you should avoid if you want to slow down the ageing process and potentially live longer in the process — and surprisingly alcohol is not on the list. Dr Jeremy London, who is board-certified in general surgery, vascular surgery and thoracic surgery, and regularly posts advice on social media and in interviews, was asked: "What habits should you avoid that are proven to speed up ageing?" He named the following five things: Smoking and vaping Sedentary lifestyle Obesity Chronic stress Poor sleep Dr London said: "The first one is pretty obvious: smoking. Smoking negatively impacts pretty much every organ system in the body. Even smoking at low levels impacts your longevity. The second would be a sedentary lifestyle. Even if you have a consistent exercise programme, if you go and sit for six or eight hours at work this affects glucose metabolism, mitochondrial function. Our bodies are made to move." Dr London put obesity third on his list: "And I don't just mean a number on a scale. I'm talking about distribution of fat, particularly abdominal or visceral fat. This is a known engine for chronic disease states. "Next would be chronic stress — and I'm talking about high-level stress: loss of a job, chronic illness with a loved one, financial stress, relationship stress, things that really don't go away. High, persistent levels of cortisol and other stress hormones have a negative impact on your overall health." Lastly, Dr London named "poor sleep", saying: "Sleep is absolutely foundational for all of us. When we sleep, this is where our bodies recover and have time to repair. And if our bodies aren't repaired properly then the risk for disease states goes up." He added: "We're all going to age and that's inevitable. But how we age is a choice." Although alcohol did not appear on Dr London's list, he has previously said that he removed all alcohol from his life in 2021 and says he feels better and that it is one of the most transformative decisions he’s made . He said: "Alcohol is toxic to every cell in your body. I think that alcohol is going to be the new cigarette smoking."