Story at-a-glance Five major heart risk factors at age 50 (high blood pressure, imbalanced cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and smoking) reduce your lifespan by more than a decade People with none of these risk factors lived significantly longer and had more disease-free years — women gained 14.5 years and men 11.8 years Linoleic acid from vegetable oils damages mitochondrial function and is a hidden root cause of cardiovascular problems that should be largely eliminated from your diet Addressing even one risk factor in your 50s adds years to your life; lowering high blood pressure and quitting smoking offered the greatest benefits in the study Beyond avoiding vegetable oils, healthy carb consumption, daily walking and regular sunlight exposure help restore cellular energy production and metabolic health