6 Lifestyle Habits That May Offset Genetic Risk Factors

Health is a tapestry woven with threads of genetics, lifestyle and environment. Scientists used to think that genes trumped lifestyle and that there was nothing you could do to change that. But over the years, this belief has been challenged. 

For example, there is some evidence that specific foods may be able to “activate your longevity genes.” And some believe that following a nutrigenetic diet—one that is designed specifically for your unique set of genes—will help you live longer (FYI: The jury’s still out on this one).  

And now, a large new study published on April 29, 2024 sheds more light on the genes vs. lifestyle controversy. 

How Was This Study Conducted?

Researchers drew data from three large population-based cohorts—LifeGen, the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the UK Biobank. A total of 353,742 participants of European heritage were included in the study. Participants were followed for an average of almost 13 years. During that time, 24,239 participants died (stick with me—it’s relevant). 

Participants were given scores for genetic risk categories regarding lifespan, as well as healthy lifestyle scores. Lifespan was scored using bloodwork measuring independent genetic variants associated with human lifespan.

The lifestyle scores were based on six areas: smoking, physical activity, diet, alcohol consumption, body shape and sleep. 

Higher lifestyle scores were given for healthier habits. This includes never smoking, meeting minimum physical activity recommendations (150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week plus 2 strength training sessions), a healthy diet and adequate sleep (7-8 hours per night). 

A healthy diet was outlined as including at least 4 of the following 7 food groups: 

• Fruits: ≥ 3 servings/day
• Vegetables: ≥ 3 servings/day
• Fish: ≥2 times/week
• Processed meats: ≤ 1 time/week
• Unprocessed red meats: ≤ 2 times/week
• Whole grains: ≥ 3 servings/day
• Refined grains: ≤2 servings/day

Covariates were taken into consideration, including education level, socioeconomic status, age and sex. Then several statistical analyses were run. 

What Does This Study Show?

This study revealed several results, including:

• An unfavorable lifestyle was generally associated with a reduced length of lifespan for each of the lifestyle factors.
• The risk of death increased across genetic risk categories (long to short) in a linear way. So as the genetic risk increased, so did the risk of dying.
• The risk of death increased across lifestyle categories (favorable to unfavorable) in a dose-response manner. This means that how much the risk of death increased depended on how unfavorable one’s lifestyle habits were.
• Among individuals with a genetic predisposition for a short lifespan, those with a favorable lifestyle could potentially add 5.22 more years to their lives compared to those with a genetic predisposition for a short lifespan and an unfavorable lifestyle.
• A high genetic risk was associated with a 21% increased risk of early death compared with a low genetic risk, independent of lifestyle factors.
• An unfavorable lifestyle was associated with an approximately 78% increased risk of death compared to a favorable lifestyle across all genetic risk categories.
• Those with a genetic predisposition to a short lifespan who also had an unfavorable lifestyle had an over 2 times greater risk of death compared to those with a genetic predisposition to a long lifespan and favorable lifestyle. 

Perhaps the statistic that matters the most to those of us who haven’t had genetic testing done is that the genetic risk of a shorter lifespan or premature death might be offset by a favorable lifestyle by about 62%. In other words, regardless of whether you know your genetic risk—and even if it ends up that you’re genetically predisposed to a shorter lifespan—you could greatly influence how long you live by adopting some healthy habits. 

How Does This Apply to Real Life?

Our genes influence many things—hair and eye color, body shape, whether or not you have a dimple or freckles…and yes, lifespan. But our behaviors can also influence how our genes work. There’s even a whole area of study on this topic called epigenetics, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

This study emphasizes that our habits can positively influence our health, regardless of what tendencies we inherit. As an example, type 2 diabetes runs in my family. I also had gestational diabetes in all four of my pregnancies—which increases my risk of type 2 diabetes later in life. But so far, as a “midlife” woman, I have yet to get diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Could my (mostly) healthy lifestyle be helping? Most likely. This doesn’t mean I won’t get it at some point, but hopefully, my habits are working in my favor. 

It’s never too late to start swapping your less-than-healthy habits with healthier ones. Pick one area you want to change, start where you’re at and gradually progress the habit. For example, if you’re not currently exercising at all, you probably don’t want to start with 150 minutes a week. Start with 15 minutes, three times a week. Or just look for ways to add more movement to your day and go up from there. 

If you want to reduce your soda consumption, start replacing one soda a day with a glass of water—or seltzer water for the bubbles. Next week replace two of your sodas with some type of water. Continue this pattern until you get to where you want to be with your soda intake.

It’s also important to remember that even if you inherited longevity genes, a longer life does not equal good quality of life. So adopting healthy habits is important no matter what genes you’re wearing.