A recent study led by researchers from Oxford Population Health has found that environmental factors play a more significant role in health and premature death than our genes. The study, which analyzed data from nearly half a million UK Biobank participants, identified 25 independent environmental factors that have a major impact on mortality and biological ageing. These factors include smoking, socioeconomic status, physical activity, and living conditions.
The research also showed that early life exposures, such as body weight at 10 years and maternal smoking around birth, can influence the risk of premature death decades later. Environmental exposures were found to have a greater effect on diseases of the lung, heart, and liver, while genetic risk dominated for dementia and breast cancer.
Professor Cornelia van Duijn, the senior author of the paper, emphasized the importance of addressing these environmental factors through individual and policy interventions to improve socioeconomic conditions, reduce smoking, and promote physical activity. The study highlights the importance of considering the cumulative impact of multiple environmental exposures over the life course, known as the exposome, in shaping the risk of premature death and age-related diseases.
The findings, published in Nature Medicine, provide valuable insights for developing integrated strategies to improve the health of aging populations by targeting key combinations of environmental factors. This research opens the door to more effective interventions to address the root causes of premature mortality and age-related diseases.
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