WHAT’S the secret to living longer?
While genetics have a part to play, a range of environmental and lifestyle conditions can have a greater impact on our risk of premature death, according to the findings of a new study.
Environmental factors may have greater influence than genes when it comes to life expectancy[/caption]
Researchers from Oxford Population Health used data from nearly half a million UK Biobank participants to assess the influence of 164 environmental factors and genetic risk scores for 22 major diseases on ageing, age-related diseases, and premature death.
They used a unique measure of ageing (a new “ageing clock”) to monitor how rapidly people are ageing using blood protein levels.
This enabled them to link environmental factors (or exposures, as they refer to them) that predict early mortality with biological ageing.
This measure was previously shown to detect age-related changes, not only in the UK Biobank but also in two other large cohort studies from China and Finland.
They identified 25 environmental factors that infuence the ageing clock.
Of these 25, they identified four that had the most impact on mortality and biological ageing, more so than genes:
- Smoking– smoking is a major cause of death and increases the risk of many serious diseases
- Socioeconomic status – people with lower income and education levels tend to have a shorter life expectancy due to factors like limited access to healthcare, and poorer health behaviours
- Lack of physical activity – this was linked to increased mortality by significantly raising the risk of developing chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and dementia
- Living conditions – which significantly impact mortality rates by influencing access to healthcare, exposure to environmental hazards, lifestyle choices, and overall stress levels
They found environmental factors to be almost 10 times more important than genetic factors.
Environmental factors explained 17 per cent of the variation in risk of death, compared to less than two per cent explained by genetic predisposition.
They also found early life exposures, including body weight at 10 years old, influenced ageing and risk of premature death 30 to 80 years later.
Whether a person’s mum smoked around the time of birth was also an early exposure risk.
“The early life exposures are particularly important as they show that environmental factors accelerate ageing early in life but leave ample opportunity to prevent long-lasting diseases and early death,” says Professor Cornelia van Duijn, St Cross Professor of Epidemiology at Oxford Population Heath and senior author of the paper.
Environmental exposures had a greater effect on diseases of the lung, heart, and liver, while genetic risk dominated for dementias and breast cancer.
Professor Cornelia said: “Our research demonstrates the profound health impact of exposures that can be changed either by individuals or through policies to improve socioeconomic conditions, reduce smoking, or promote physical activity.
“While genes play a key role in brain conditions and some cancers, our findings highlight opportunities to mitigate the risks of chronic diseases of the lung, heart and liver which are leading causes of disability and death globally.”
The 25 lifestyle and environmental exposures
Those with an asterisk are plausibly modifiable:
- Pack years of smoking*
- Smoking status (current or previous vs. never)*
- Maternal smoking around the time of your birth*
- Being employed or self-employed (vs. part-time work, unemployed, unpaid/volunteer work, retired, stay at home, or unable to work due to disability)*
- Total physical activity*
- Going to the gym once a week or more*
- Household income*
- Renting a home from a local council vs. owning outright*
- Years of education*
- Townsend deprivation index (material deprivation of the area in which you live according to postcode)*
- Living in a flat vs. a house or bungalow*
- Experiencing financial difficulty in the past 2 years*
- Being unemployed (vs. part-time work, being employed, unpaid/volunteer work, retired, stay at home, or unable to work due to disability)*
- Having adequate heating (from an open fire vs. none, gas fire, or gas hob)*
- Living at home with a partner (vs. versus living alone or with the other non-partners [siblings, parents, children, etc])*
- Hours of sleep per night*
- Frequency of taking naps during the day*
- Frequency of feeling tired*
- Frequency of feeling unenthusiastic*
- Feeling ‘fed-up’ often*
- How easily one’s skin gets tanned*
- Frequency of eating cheese*
- Being plumper at 10 years old compared to average*
- Being shorter at 10 years old compared to average
- Self-reported ethnicity
Dr Austin Argentieri, lead author of the study at Oxford Population Health and Research Fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital, stressed studying the environment and exposome should be a key priority for any researchers studying how we age and why we develop age-related chronic diseases.
He said: “Investments in understanding and modifying our environments will likely have a profound impact on improving health for all of us.”
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday 18 February, Dr Argentieri added: “I don’t think it was a surprise to us to learn that the environment matters more than genetics for mortality and ageing, but I think it was perhaps reassuring to see that the magnitude of that was so high.
“If we were surprised at anything we were surprised at just how stark the difference was how much more the environment matters than genetics.”
Body weight at 10 years influenced ageing and risk of premature death 30 to 80 years later[/caption]
How to live longer
Live happier and healthier for longer with the NHS’s top 10 tips:
Watch what you eat and drink
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is crucial for good health, energy and preventing illness.
Look after your teeth
Brush your teeth twice a day and floss daily to prevent gum disease. Gum disease can be linked to diabetes, stroke, heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
Stay active
Regular exercise can help lower your risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and even cancer.
Make the most of your GP
It’s a good idea to get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels tested by your doctor. High readings can increase your risk of stroke and heart disease.
Get a vitamin boost
Lots of people have vitamin D deficiency but don’t know it. The condition has been linked to cognitive impairment, bone problems, and cardiovascular disease. Make sure to get outdoors during the spring and summer months, and during autumn and winter you might want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement.
Take care of your feet
Look after your feet by applying moisturiser, cutting your toenails straight across, and making sure you wear footwear that fits properly and supports your feet. Contact your GP if your feet become painful.
Sort out your sleep
Getting enough sleep is important for staying healthy. Avoid insomnia by cutting down on daytime naps, establishing a bedtime routine and going to bed at the same time each night.
Take the tests
As we age our hearing and eyesight can be affected, so it’s important to get them checked regularly.
Stay in touch
Spending time with other people can prevent you from feeling lonely or anxious.
Give up smoking
Smoking is linked to a range of different health problems, including heart disease and lung cancer. If you stop, regardless of your age, your circulation, lung capacity, and energy levels will improve.
