New York, Dec 14 (IANS): Do not get worried if you are 65 or older and had unhealthy lifestyle in the past. You can beat and prevent your illness through proper diet and exercise, says a new study.

Physicians and scientists surveyed scientific literature and found that adults, 65 and older, can have significant health improvements with simple and realistic lifestyle changes, said the study published in the November issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in US.

The researchers found that risk could be reduced for many diseases-including obesity, cancer, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

Richard S. Rivlin, professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College analysed how the elderly can ward off risks to their health late in life by improving body composition-lowering fat and boosting muscle mass.

Adhering to a low-calorie and low-fat diet - high in vegetables and fruits - with a regular exercise plan, can help the elderly stave off the diseases of aging, Rivlin said.

"When measures to combat chronic disease are started in one's 60s and 70s, there are still definite benefits," says Rivlin. "But older adults must realise that there is no quick fix. They must change their lifestyles."

The researchers also found that lowering high blood pressure or hypertension - a major risk for cardiovascular disease - through improved diet and exercise had more dramatic health benefits for the elderly than for any other age group.

Control of hypertension could potentially prevent one-fifth of coronary heart disease cases in men, and 30 percent in women.

Older adults who adhered to a low-calorie diet with regular exercise had lower rates of cancer. Benefits of weight training include increased ability to burn calories and prevention of osteoporosis.

Calcium and vitamin D supplements for seniors helped slow rates of bone loss and reduce the number of bone fractures, the researchers said in a report published in the Weill Cornell Medical College website.

Our study reviews and presents the most up-to-date information showing the influence a healthy lifestyle may have on cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoporosis," Rivlin said.

"I also believe that the risk for other diseases, like diabetes and pulmonary disease, can also be avoided through later intervention. But, the earlier, the better," Rivlin added.