Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have found a recipe for longer life among women: avoid cigarettes, exercise regularly, eat healthily and keep weight in check.

The results of a 24-year study show that a combination of healthy behaviors reduced early deaths from chronic diseases by 55 percent among women, the BBC reported Sept. 16.

"It's simple dietary changes like eating more whole-grains and less red meat, walking to work and to the grocery shop, these really add up," said researcher Rob van Dam, lead author of the study. "And of course the thing to state is not to smoke."

Researchers asked the 77,782 women who participated in the study to answer questions every two years about their diet, frequency of physical activity, alcohol intake, weight, how much they smoked, and disease history. The authors documented 8,882 deaths in the follow-up period, attributing 55 percent to the combination of smoking, being overweight, not exercising enough, and poor diet.

The results suggest that altering these behaviors will cut deaths from cancer by 44 percent, and cut deaths from cardiovascular disease by 72 percent.

"This study reaffirms the importance of prevention," said a spokeswoman from the British Nutrition Foundation.

The research was published in the Sept. 16, 2008 issue of the British Medical Journal.