{"id":44457,"date":"2025-05-14T12:42:28","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T10:42:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/?p=44457"},"modified":"2026-01-22T13:48:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T12:48:11","slug":"aging-our-environment-weighs-more-heavily-than-our-genes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.silvereco.org\/en\/aging-our-environment-weighs-more-heavily-than-our-genes\/","title":{"rendered":"Aging: Our environment weighs more heavily than our genes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why do we age and die prematurely? Is it a matter of genetics or lifestyle? A recent study published in Nature Aging<\/em> offers surprising answers by analyzing the factors that truly influence our aging and risk of premature death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The impact of lifestyle on aging: A large-scale study<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A vast study<\/strong> conducted by American, British, and Dutch researchers explored the impact of lifestyle and environment on aging and health<\/strong>. To do so, they examined data from nearly 500,000 Britons followed for over 12 years as part of the UK Biobank, one of the largest cohorts in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scientific team analyzed 164 elements related to lifestyle habits and environment<\/strong> in order to identify their influence on aging<\/a><\/strong>, age-related diseases, and early mortality. To refine their analysis, the researchers used an innovative biological clock based on molecular markers, particularly proteins. This tool enabled them to assess the internal aging of participants and estimate their \u201cbiological age<\/strong>\u201d, to better understand the associated risk factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The findings, published in Nature<\/em>, reveal that among the 164 parameters studied, 25 (23 of which can be modified) were closely linked to the biological clock and the risk of mortality<\/strong>. On average, each of these elements was involved in the development of 15 age-related diseases<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The exposome: A key player in aging<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The researchers studied nearly half a million participants from the UK Biobank, a vast biomedical database. They compared the impact of environmental factors<\/strong> (referred to as the \u201cexposome\u201d) and genetic factors on life expectancy and age-related diseases. The result: the exposome accounts for a much larger share of aging<\/strong> and mortality than genetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a9France exposome<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

EXPOSOME (definition)
<\/strong>[\u025bkspozom]<\/em>
Noun, Masculine
Def.:<\/strong> The exposome refers to the entirety of environmental exposures an individual undergoes throughout their life, from conception to death. It encompasses various factors such as diet, pollution, stress, lifestyle habits, and chemical, biological, and physical agents, as well as their interactions with genetics.
This concept is key in epidemiology and public health, as it allows for the study of the overall impact of the environment on disease development and aging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In numbers, DNA contributes only 2% additional explanation for mortality variation<\/strong>, whereas the exposome explains 17%. In other words, our environment and lifestyle habits carry much more weight than our genetic inheritance<\/strong> in determining our longevity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What speeds up (or slows down) aging<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The study identified 25 environmental factors <\/strong>with a direct impact on mortality and biological aging. Among the most harmful are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n