Analysis of UK BioBank data shows importance of factors including living conditions and smoking, say experts

Summary

A study analyzing nearly 500,000 UK BioBank participants suggests environmental factors are about 10 times more influential than genetics in determining the risk of early death.

Researchers identified 25 key environmental exposures—such as maternal smoking, employment, and income—that impact biological aging and disease risk, with most being modifiable.

These factors explained 17% of mortality risk, while genetics accounted for less than 2%.

However, genetics played a larger role in certain diseases like cancer and dementia.