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Researchers Investigated Environmental and Genetic Factors that Influence Our Longevity the Most
After analyzing over 150 factors, it seems our environment and lifestyles hold the most sway over our health, most of the time.
Many people fear death, which is likely why our species is obsessed with youth and longevity. We have legends about fountains of youth, spend billions to heal the sick and save the dying, consume advertised supplements to extend our lifespans, buy skin creams, and have surgeries or inject chemicals to keep us looking young.
There are entire industries dedicated to selling us products that are supposed to help us live long, healthy lives and look good doing it. Meanwhile, many scientists study the more specific debate between what influences our health and longevity more, our environment or genetics? Nature or nurture?
The Study
Austin Argentieri, a research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital, led an international team of experts in conducting an extensive, multi-step analysis, which they published in Nature Medicine on February 19, 2025.
The team began their research by utilizing data from 490,000 people registered in the UK Biobank, a vast collection of…
