Doctors like to remind patients not to monkey around with their health, suggesting that a good diet and regular exercise improve longevity.

A new study on health in chimpanzees, which are the closest species to humans genetically, showed the benefits in what they eat and how they can travel and climb.

When chimpanzees have a plant-based diet and substantial opportunities to exercise, they fall into «healthy» human ranges. Lab chimpanzees, whose diet and exercise were limited, showed conditions indicative of cardiovascular disease risk, more like sedentary people.

Chimpanzees are critical for understanding the evolution of human health and longevity. Cardiovascular disease — a major source of mortality during aging in humans — is a key issue for comparative medicine.

Prior data indicated that compared to humans, chimpanzees have high levels of blood lipids that can promote cardiovascular disease in humans. However, most work on chimpanzee heart health comes from the animals living in laboratories where lifestyles diverge from a wild context.

Researchers from the University of Michigan and University of New Mexico partnered with wildlife veterinarians in Uganda and Congo to examine cardiovascular profiles in chimpanzees living in African sanctuaries. These chimpanzees occupy large rainforest enclosures, consume a diet of fruits and vegetables, and generally experience conditions more similar to a wild chimpanzee lifestyle.

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Materials provided by University of Michigan. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.