Health is a tapestry woven from threads of genetics, lifestyle, and environment. Scientists once thought that genes took precedence over lifestyle and that there was nothing they could do to change it. However, over the years this belief has been questioned.
For example, there is some evidence that certain foods can “activate longevity genes.” And some people believe that following a trophogenic diet, a diet specifically designed for your unique set of genes, will lead to a longer life (see: the jury is still out on this one). not).
And now, a major new study published on April 29, 2024, is shedding further light on the genes vs. lifestyle debate..
How was this study conducted?
The researchers extracted data from three large population-based cohorts: LifeGen, the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), and the UK Biobank. The study included a total of 353,742 participants of European heritage. Participants were followed for an average of almost 13 years. During that time, 24,239 participants died (listen to the end, because it's important).
Participants were given a healthy lifestyle score as well as a score for the genetic risk category for longevity. Lifespan was scored using a blood test that measures independent genetic variations associated with human lifespan.
The lifestyle score is based on six areas: smoking, physical activity, diet, alcohol intake, body shape, and sleep.
Healthier habits were given higher lifestyle scores. This includes smoking cessation, following minimum physical activity recommendations (150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity and 2 strength training sessions per week), eating a healthy diet, and getting enough sleep each night. 7 to 8 hours)..
It is outlined that a healthy diet includes at least four of the following seven food groups:
- Fruit: 3 or more servings per day
- Vegetables: 3 or more servings per day
- Fish: ≥ 2 times/week
- Processed meat: ≤1 time/week
- Unprocessed red meat: ≤ 2 times/week
- Whole grains: 3 or more servings per day
- Refined grains: ≤ 2 servings/day
Covariates such as education level, socio-economic status, age, and gender were considered. Next, several statistical analyzes were performed.
What does this study show?
This study revealed several results, including:
- Unfavorable lifestyles were generally associated with shorter lifespans for each lifestyle factor.
- Mortality risk increased linearly across genetic risk categories (long-term to short-term). Therefore, as genetic risk increased, so did the risk of death.
- Mortality risk increased across lifestyle categories (from favorable to unfavorable) in a dose-response manner. In other words, how much your risk of death increases depends on your poor lifestyle habits.
- Among individuals with a genetic predisposition to short lifespan, those with a favorable lifestyle may live 5.22 years longer than those with a genetic predisposition to short lifespan and an unfavorable lifestyle.
- High genetic risk increased the risk of early death by 21% compared to low genetic risk, independent of lifestyle factors.
- Across all genetic risk categories, an unfavorable lifestyle was associated with an approximately 78% increased risk of death compared to a favorable lifestyle.
- People with a genetic predisposition to a short lifespan who also had an unfavorable lifestyle had more than twice the risk of dying than those with a genetic predisposition to a long life and a favorable lifestyle.
Perhaps the most important statistic for those who haven't had genetic testing is that the genetic risk of a shortened lifespan or premature death can be offset by about 62% by a favorable lifestyle. In other words, whether you know your genetic risk or not, and even if it turns out that your genetics predispose you to a shorter lifespan, adopting healthy habits can have a big impact on your longevity. It's possible.
How does this apply to real life?
Our genes influence many things, including hair and eye color, body shape, whether we have dimples and freckles, and how long we live. But our actions can also influence how our genes work. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is an entire field of research on this topic called epigenetics..
This study highlights that our habits can have a positive impact on our health, regardless of what tendencies we inherit. As an example, type 2 diabetes runs in my family. Also, I had gestational diabetes with all 4 of her pregnancies. This increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. But so far, as a “middle-aged” woman, I have not yet been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Is my (mostly) healthy lifestyle helping? most likely. This doesn't mean I won't get infected someday, but hopefully my habits are working in my favor.
It's never too late to start replacing less healthy habits with healthier ones. Choose one area you want to change, start where you are now, and gradually work your way through the habit. For example, if you don't currently exercise at all, you probably don't need to start with 150 minutes a week. Start with 15 minutes, three times a week. Or, step up from there by looking for ways to add more movement into your day.
If you want to reduce your soda consumption, try replacing one soda a day with a glass of water or sparkling water to create bubbles. Next week, try replacing two sodas with some type of water. Continue this pattern until you reach your soda intake goal.
It is also important to remember that even if you inherit longevity genes, a longer lifespan does not necessarily mean a better quality of life. Therefore, it's important to adopt healthy habits, no matter what genes you carry.