People genetically predisposed to a shorter lifespan can live about five years longer if they follow a healthy lifestyle, a study suggests.
In the first study of its kind, researchers wanted to evaluate how the chances of survival can be improved through exercise, a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and not smoking.
The study, which involved more than 350,000 Britons, showed that those with a high genetic risk of a shorter life are a fifth (21 percent) more likely to die young than those with a low genetic risk, regardless of his life style.
In the first study of its kind, researchers wanted to evaluate how the chances of survival can be improved through exercise, a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and not smoking. Stock
Meanwhile, people with unhealthy lifestyles are 78 percent more likely to die prematurely, whether or not they have life-shortening genes.
Having an unhealthy lifestyle and genes indicative of a shorter life expectancy more than doubled the risk of premature death compared to people with luckier genes and healthy lifestyles.
But the good news for these people is that lifestyle did have a significant degree of control over what happened, according to findings by experts at the University of Edinburgh and Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China.
Any genetic risk of a shorter life or premature death can be offset by a healthier lifestyle by about 62 percent.
Experts said: “Participants with high genetic risk could extend approximately 5.22 years of life expectancy at age 40 with a favorable lifestyle.”
The “optimal lifestyle mix” for a longer life was found to be never smoking, engaging in regular physical activity, getting an adequate amount of sleep, and eating healthy.
The researchers looked at participants’ polygenic risk score—thousands of genetic variants in a person’s genome—to estimate their risk of developing a specific disease.
Each individual genetic variant has a small effect on a person’s risk of disease.
But by looking at all the variants together, scientists can estimate your overall risk of developing a disease.
People were grouped into three genetically determined life expectancy categories: long (20.1 percent), intermediate (60.1 percent), and short (19.8 percent), and into three lifestyle score categories. life, including favorable (23.1 percent), intermediate (55.6 percent). percent) and unfavorable (21.3 percent).
They then analyzed it along with lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, sleep and whether they smoked.
Published in the journal BMJ Evidence Based Medicine, the study followed people for an average of 13 years, during which time 24,239 deaths occurred.
Matt Lambert, senior health information officer at the World Cancer Research Fund, said: “This new research shows that, despite genetic factors, leading a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced nutritious diet and staying active, can help us live longer. We also know it can reduce the risk of cancer.’
WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?
Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains, according to the NHS.
• Eat at least 5 servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried, and canned fruits and vegetables count
• Base meals are based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains.
• 30 grams of fiber per day: This is equivalent to eating all of the following: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 whole grain crackers, 2 thick slices of whole wheat bread, and one large baked potato with skin.
• Eat some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks) by choosing low-fat, low-sugar options.
• Eat some beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 servings of fish each week, one of which should be fatty)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume them in small amounts
• Drink 6 to 8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should consume less than 6 g of salt and 20 g of saturated fat for women or 30 g for men per day.
Fountain: NHS Eatwell Guide