By Adama Diarra, DO, FACP

If you’ve been with me on this longevity journey for a while, you know we talk about sleep, nutrition, fitness, stress reduction, metabolic health—all the usual suspects.

But today, I want to discuss something surprisingly unsexy:

Having a primary care doctor.

This might seem almost too simple. But large-scale research shows that having an ongoing relationship with a primary care clinician is strongly associated with living longer.

Let’s break this down clearly and simply.

Primary Care and Life Expectancy: What the Research Shows

When researchers study entire U.S. counties—comparing areas with more primary care doctors to those with fewer—they find something striking:

More primary care access = longer average lifespan.

In one major study, every increase of 10 primary care doctors per 100,000 people was associated with a 51 to 89-day increase in life expectancy ( a year to a year and half longer), even after accounting for income, healthcare spending, population differences, education, and more.[1]

Importantly, this effect was stronger for primary care than for having more specialists.

This tells us something important:

Primary care is where prevention, early detection, and continuous health guidance occur.

Specialists treat diseases once they appear.
Primary care helps prevent diseases from forming—or progressing—at all.

Real Life Impact: Imagine two U.S. counties side-by-side:

County A (More Primary Care Doctors) → Longer Average Lifespan
County B (Fewer Primary Care Doctors) → Shorter Average Lifespan

The more access people have to ongoing, relationship-centered care, the healthier and longer-lived the population becomes.

This pattern shows up again and again in studies.[1][2][3]

What About the Individual Patient?

On the personal level, having a primary care provider is linked to:

Lower risk of death from all causes
Better control of blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes
Earlier and more accurate detection of disease
Lower risk of hospitalization
Less stress navigating the healthcare system

Even more fascinating:

People who have a regular primary care doctor tend to have longer telomeres—the cellular markers associated with slower biological aging.[4]

In other words:

Continuity of care supports healthier aging at the cellular level.

And two independent systematic reviews found that staying with the same physician over time is likely associated with reduced early mortality.[5][6]

Why Does Primary Care Improve Longevity?

Think of primary care as your health headquarters—a stable point of continuity in an increasingly fragmented medical world.

Primary care provides:

Primary Care Role

Longevity Benefit

Preventive screenings

Problems caught early = easier to treat

Chronic disease management

Reduces heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease

Guidance on lifestyle and stress

Supports mental + metabolic resilience

Coordination across specialists

Ensures nothing gets missed

A clinician who knows your historyMore accurate decisions and personalized care

Or, put simply:

A doctor who knows you can keep you healthier for longer.

Illustrative Timeline (How Primary Care Protects Over Time)

Year 1   → Establish baseline labs, risk factors, history
Years 2–5 → Preventive adjustments + early disease detection
Years 5–15 → Slower decline, fewer complications, better functioning
Years 15+  → Lower risk of hospitalization and early mortality

Prevention compounds—just like investing.

Conclusion

The research is clear:

Having consistent primary care is one of the most reliable, evidence-based ways to increase lifespan and improve quality of life.

Not because primary care is flashy.
But because continuity + relationship = better health decisions over time.

Primary care is one of the quiet pillars of longevity.

References

Basu S, Berkowitz SA, Phillips RL, et al. Association of Primary Care Physician Supply With Population Mortality in the United States, 2005–2015. JAMA Internal Medicine. 2019;179(4):506-514.
Basu S, Phillips RS, Berkowitz SA, et al. Estimated Effect on Life Expectancy of Alleviating Primary Care Shortages in the United States. Ann Intern Med. 2021;174(7):920-926.
Sterling MR, Ferranti EP, Green BB, et al. The Role of Primary Care in Achieving Life’s Essential 8. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 2024;17(12):e000134.
Baltrus PT, Li C, Gaglioti A. Having a Usual Source of Care Is Associated With Longer Telomere Length. J Am Board Fam Med. 2020;33(6):832-841.
Engström SG, André M, Arvidsson E, et al. Personal GP-continuity Improves Healthcare Outcomes. Br J Gen Pract. 2025; BJGP.2024.0568.
Baker R, Freeman GK, Haggerty JL, et al. Primary Medical Care Continuity and Patient Mortality. Br J Gen Pract. 2020;70(698):e600-e611.

Why Having a Primary Care Physician May Literally Add Days to Your Life