A recent study published in Nature Medicine has found that environmental factors, such as smoking, physical activity, and living conditions, have a greater impact on health and premature death than genetic predisposition. The study revealed that environmental factors explained 17% of the variation in risk of death, compared to less than 2% explained by genetics.
Of the 25 identified environmental factors, smoking, socioeconomic status, physical activity, and living conditions had the most significant impact on premature death and biological aging. Smoking was associated with 21 diseases, socioeconomic factors with 19, and physical activity with 17. Early life exposures, such as body weight at 10 years and maternal smoking around birth, were also shown to influence aging and risk of premature death later in life.
The research highlighted that environmental exposures had a greater effect on diseases of the heart, lung, and liver, while genetic risk dominated for dementias and breast cancer. Professor Bryan Williams emphasized the need for bold action to address the inequalities in health outcomes based on income, postcode, and background. He stressed the importance of targeting barriers to good health to prevent cardiovascular diseases and premature death.
This study underscores the need for interventions to address environmental factors that impact health outcomes and reduce disparities in heart health. It highlights the importance of addressing social determinants of health to improve overall population health and increase life expectancy.
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