LIFESTYLE > GENETICS

“Lifestyle Matters More Than Genetics”

New Research Points the Way to Living Longer and Healthier After 60

When we talk about longevity, many people assume that genetics determine how long we will live. However, recent research published in 2025 makes one thing clear: lifestyle plays an even more powerful role and can add several healthy years to life, even in individuals with higher genetic risk.

What Did the Study Examine?

This large-scale study followed more than 317,000 participants from the UK Biobank. Researchers analyzed two key factors:

• Healthy Lifestyle Score (HLS) including non-smoking status, regular physical activity, and a healthy diet
• Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) for longevity reflecting inherited genetic risk for chronic diseases

The goal was to understand how lifestyle and genetics interact to influence both lifespan and Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE).

The Results Were Clear

Among individuals aged 60 and older:

• Those with high HLS and high PRS lived nearly 4 additional years on average
• Their Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) increased by more than 4.7 years, compared to those with unhealthy lifestyle habits

These findings strongly demonstrate the power of healthy behaviorsespecially not smoking, which showed the most significant positive impact.

Women May Benefit Even More

The study also found that women appeared to gain greater longevity benefits when healthy lifestyle habits aligned with favorable genetics.

However, across all groups, the overall conclusion remained consistent:

Healthy lifestyle choices can meaningfully offset genetic risks.

Genetics Is Not Destiny

One of the most important messages from this research is simple yet powerful:

Your genes are not your fate.

Even individuals with a high genetic risk score (PRS) can significantly increase their years of disease-free life by making lifestyle changes—such as quitting smoking, exercising regularly, and improving dietary habits.

The Key to “Healthy Longevity”

Living longer with quality is not determined solely by inherited traits. It is shaped by daily choices.

Whether you are in your 50s or 60s, it is not too late to begin. By taking action today, you can increase your chances of living a longer, stronger, and healthier life.

Because longevity is not just about adding years to life

it’s about adding life to those years.

Research Reference

Li, R., Xie, C., Chen, L., Cai, M., Wang, X., Zhang, Z., Hua, J., Li, H., & Lin, H. (2023). Healthy lifestyle and longevity genetics associated with healthy life expectancy and years of life gained at age of 60 years: A prospective cohort study. Journal of Public Health, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-023-02074-1