David Hockney claims hand washing and teeth cleaning are secret of a long life...and he might have a point

David Hockney has claimed that regularly washing his hands and cleaning his teeth has helped him live to 81, despite being a frequent smoker.

In a letter to he Financial Times, the artist said people were surviving longer now because of improved hygiene practices.

“I was told by a doctor many years ago that what was making people live longer was he washing of hands and the cleaning teeth,” he wrote.

“I instinctively believed this. I am still a smoker at 81 but I wash my hands and clean my teeth regularly.”

The artist has been a vocal supporter of cigarettes in the past, even labeling the smoking ban as a ‘grotesque piece of social engineering.’

But although claims that cleanliness may stave off an early death for smokers seem implausible, recent research backs up his opinion.

In 2016, researchers at Florida Atlantic University found that thoroughly brushing teeth to remove plaque could help prevent heart attacks and strokes by reducing inflammation in the body close to levels achieved through statins.

Around 160,000 people die from heart and circulatory disease in the UK every year, and smoking hugely raises the risk by causing a build-up of fatty material which narrows arteries, so correct dental hygiene could, in theory, prevent some cases.

And although modern overly-hygienic lifestyles have been blamed for a rise in allergies, a study published this week by Imperial College London suggested allergic reactions may also protect people against skin cancer.

The team found that an antibody called Immunoglobulin E, or IgE, which triggers allergic reactions by mistakenly recognising a harmless substance – such as peanuts - as a danger, may also be helping keep people alive against greater threats.

Dr Jessica Strid, lead author of the study from the Department of Medicine at Imperial, said: “Our new work suggests IgE could protect against the damage caused by skin exposure to tumour-promoting chemicals or UV irradiation – and help fight against skin cancer.”

A study in July from Columbia University also found that regular handwashing prevented contact with common flame-retardant chemicals in everyday items which are linked to hormone disruption, decreased fertility, and thyroid dysfunction in humans.

However in some instances cleanliness has led to problems. Research published in May from the Institute of Cancer Research in London found that children who grew up in overly clean households were more likely to develop childhood leukemia, if they already had a genetic susceptibility to the disease.