New research reveals that environmental factors, from smoking to socioeconomic status, have a stronger influence on aging and premature mortality than genetics—reshaping our understanding of disease prevention.
Study: Integrating the environmental and genetic architectures of aging and mortality. Image Credit: Shutterstock AI Generator / Shutterstock.com
A recent Nature Medicine study compares the relative contributions of genetics and the environment to aging and premature mortality.
The impact of environmental and genetic factors on human aging
Human aging is a complex process associated with biological and subclinical changes that begin in mid-life, typically between the ages of 40 and 60. Several studies have reported that non-genetic environmental factors can accelerate the aging process and…