The Enstrom and Breslow cohort study of 9,844 active California LDS members found that middle-aged high priests adhering to three health practices (never smoking, regular physical activity, proper sleep) had a standardized mortality ratio for all cardiovascular diseases of just 26 — meaning their heart disease death rate was 74% below the U.S. average. SMRs for the same cohort: 27 for all causes and 33 for all cancer.
This cardiac risk profile is among the lowest ever documented in a U.S. population cohort. Female members of the cohort also showed substantially reduced cardiovascular mortality, though the female-specific cardiovascular SMR figures vary by subgroup. The Word of Wisdom — the LDS health code prohibiting tobacco and alcohol — appears to be a primary contributing factor.
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