Genes or lifestyle: What really has bigger impact on your health?
How much do genes affect health? (photo: Freepik)
Genetic factors determine only 20–25% of a person's health, while the rest depends on everyday habits, Dmytro Mykytenko said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
Key points:
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Genetics determines only 20–25% of our health, while the rest depends on everyday habits, diet, and sleep.
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Lifestyle adjustments can effectively influence weight, endocrine disorders, and subfertility without unnecessary medical interventions.
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Sports DNA tests are useful for athletes, while diet-related tests are speculation.
How much genetics affects health
"You can't blame all problems on genetics. It affects health by only 20–25%, unless we are talking specifically about genetic diseases. Another 10% of the impact on our health comes from healthcare, 15–20% from living conditions, and 50% from our lifestyle: what we eat, how much water we drink, and how we sleep. So we have the power to change much more than we think," the expert noted.
People with the same genetic risk of atherosclerosis may have different behavioral patterns: one person may provoke the body by eating fatty meat, while another may choose dietary fish.
What lifestyle affects
Adjusting everyday habits can effectively influence specific health indicators: weight, endocrine disorders, and fertility.
"Many couples undergoing IVF treatment do not have infertility as such — they have a state of subfertility. That means a reduced ability to achieve pregnancy," Mykytenko explained.
According to him, reproductive specialists first assess factors contributing to subfertility to help the couple conservatively rather than immediately referring them for IVF.
At the same time, cancer is practically impossible to prevent, but knowing the risks significantly facilitates detection and medical monitoring.
Sports and nutrition DNA tests
Special attention is given to sports genetics. Such tests help determine a predisposition to certain types of physical activity and the structure of muscle fibers (aerobic or sprint type).
"But such tests are advisable if you plan to pursue sports professionally, not if you simply go to the gym to maintain your health," the expert emphasized.
At the same time, he warns against trusting commercial DNA tests for nutrition.
"You shouldn't fall for pointless tests — DNA-based diets that tell you how much and what to eat. It's speculation. Such tests are not certified. The laboratories do not have medical licenses and bear no responsibility. It's better to follow the healthy plate rule," the geneticist said.
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
