Avoiding premature death: Researchers have identified the key preventable causes.

Between our genes and the surrounding environment, scientists have found that the latter plays a crucial role in determining our health status. A recent study revealed that environmental factors have a significantly greater impact than genetics on the risk of premature death. This finding emerged from an extensive analysis of nearly 500,000 participants in the UK Biobank study, as reported by Bloomberg.

Researchers thoroughly examined a wide range of environmental influences on our health, from lifestyle choices and habits such as smoking or physical activity to socio-economic conditions like income and overall living conditions. The results indicate that these ecological aspects account for about 17% of the variations in mortality risk, while genetic predisposition contributes less than 2%.

Dr. Austin Argentiere, the lead author of the study from the Oxford Centre for Population Health, emphasized the profound impact of our environment on health. He noted that changes in our environment could significantly enhance health and increase lifespan, while also potentially making us more ill, depending on its condition.

The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, identified 25 key environmental factors associated with accelerated biological aging and increased mortality risk. The researchers pointed out that 23 of these factors are modifiable, opening up real opportunities for intervention to reduce the risk of early death for millions. These factors include parental lifestyle habits, such as maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood body weight, as well as adult life circumstances like employment status and family income.

Although lifestyle elements like alcohol consumption and diet were considered during the research, they did not emerge as significant factors in this analysis. The researchers suggest that this may be due to the challenges in accurately capturing these types of behaviors through self-reported questionnaires.

Further analysis revealed that environmental exposure had a more pronounced effect on diseases affecting the lungs, heart, and liver. In contrast, genetic factors had a greater influence on conditions like dementia and certain types of cancer. This distinction highlights that nature and nurture contribute differently to various changes in our bodies.

This scientific work has shed light on the critical importance of the "exposome" — the totality of environmental exposures throughout a person's life and their impact on health. By focusing on modifiable environmental factors, significant improvements in population health and reductions in age-related disease prevalence could be achieved, according to the authors.

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