Study Identifies Age 36 as Turning Point for Health Impacts from Smoking, Drinking, and Inactivity

A new Finnish study has identified the age at which common unhealthy behaviors begin to take a measurable toll on physical and mental health: 36.

The research, conducted by the Laurea University of Applied Sciences, tracked participants over several decades and found that habits like smoking, heavy alcohol use, and physical inactivity in early adulthood are linked to long-term health challenges that emerge by the mid-30s.

“Our findings highlight the importance of tackling risky health behaviors, such as smoking, heavy drinking, and physical inactivity, as early as possible to prevent the damage they do from building up over the years,” said lead author Dr. Tiia Kekäläinen in a statement released April 24.

The study followed a group of 326 individuals born in 1959 in Jyväskylä, Finland. Health data was collected at multiple intervals — ages 27, 36, 42, 50, and 61 — allowing researchers to track both immediate and cumulative health effects over time. The final data set included 206 participants.

According to the findings, poor lifestyle choices in early adulthood were associated with increased rates of depression, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and in some cases, early mortality. Smoking was strongly correlated with poorer mental health, while a lack of regular exercise — defined as less than once per week — was linked to declining physical health. Heavy alcohol use, as classified by Alcohol Change UK, was found to negatively affect both physical and mental well-being.

Heavy drinking was defined in the study as consuming the equivalent of roughly 735 standard 12-ounce bottles of beer per year for men and 515 for women, though exact definitions varied depending on the type of alcohol.

The research adds to a growing body of evidence highlighting the long-term risks associated with lifestyle factors. Importantly, it also emphasizes the benefits of making healthier choices, even later in life.

“It is never too late to change to healthier habits,” Dr. Kekäläinen noted. “Adopting healthier habits in midlife also has benefits for older age.”

While the study primarily reflects the health trajectories of people born in the late 1950s, researchers caution that cultural changes and modern risk behaviors — such as vaping — may lead to different outcomes in younger generations. The study did not assess the effects of diet or substance use beyond alcohol and tobacco, leaving room for future research to explore additional contributing factors.

The study’s findings were published in the journal Annals of Medicine.

With input from the Daily Mail, New York Post, and the Independent.