lifestyle

Lifestyle Choices That Extend Lifespan? Here's What The Research Says

A recent study published in Nature Medicine has revealed that lifestyle and environmental factors play a more significant role in longevity than genetics. 

Conducted by researchers from Oxford Population Health, the study analyzed extensive data from over 490,000 individuals in the UK Biobank, which included detailed medical histories, genetic sequencing, and environmental exposures. 

The researchers investigated the impact of genetic versus environmental factors on mortality and proteomic aging. 

Through this research, lead author Austin Argentieri, a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital, stated, "We can estimate how quickly or slowly each participant ages biologically compared to their chronological age." He referred to this as the "proteomic age gap," which represents the difference in years between predicted protein age and chronological age. Argentieri added, "[This] is a very strong predictor of mortality ... and is also closely associated with many important aging traits such as frailty and cognitive function." 

To further investigate the causes of an individual's proteomic age gap, the researchers examined environmental exposures and behaviors, including income, marital status, dietary habits, exercise routines, living conditions, and more. 

Conversely, they also considered individual genomes and genetic markers for various diseases. 

What were the findings? 

"Environmental factors account for 17% of the variation in mortality risk, compared to less than 2% attributed to genetic predisposition," according to a press release. 

Additionally, smoking, socioeconomic status, physical activity, and living conditions emerged as the most influential environmental factors affecting mortality and biological aging. 

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Tag: Lifestyle Participant Ages Biologically UK Biobank