A large scientific study of almost half a million people, recently published in the journal Nature, reinforces the idea that investing in healthier habits is worthwhile. Using data recorded in the UK Biobank, researchers found that environmental and behavioral factors have a greater impact on premature mortality and biological aging than genetic factors. Much more. The difference is 17% against 2%.

In the study, more than 100 environmental and lifestyle factors were considered in the risk of developing 22 diseases, responsible for most of the leading causes of death.

The scientific evidence reinforces the relevance of new studies in fields of biology, such as epigenetics, and of ideas defended by authors such as Canadian Peter Attia, in his book Outlive.

One of my great references, Attia has an incredible life trajectory and an important role in the development of a global culture of health and well-being in recent years.

With a degree in medicine from Stanford University, he abandoned his residency in general surgery at one of the most important hospitals in the world, Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, when he realized that he was drying ice. He was working too hard to save the few who arrived with advanced health problems in an expensive and inaccessible system.
Frustrated, he went to work at McKinsey as a consultant on problems related to health and financial systems. Until a personal issue brought him back to medicine.

Despite exercising constantly and maintaining a balanced diet, around the age of 30 Attia noticed that she was gaining weight. On investigation, she discovered that the reason was a metabolic syndrome characterized by insulin resistance.

He returned to his medical career, however, with a different vision. She co-founded the Nutrition Science Initiative (NuSI), focused on promoting high-quality nutrition research, spent two years researching immunological therapies for melanoma at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and created the Drive podcast to talk about performance, health and longevity, among other related topics.

More recently, in 2023, he set up his own private clinic, Early, and released the book Outlive, which became an international bestseller, among the New York Times bestsellers.

In the book, Attia develops and popularizes his concept of a medicine more focused on prevention, in a personalized way, medicine 3.0, in contrast to medicine 2.0, created to treat diseases that have already set in - medicine 1.0 is pre-scientific.

For him, the pillars of longevity are physical exercise with high oxygen consumption, combining strength, aerobic capacity and stability; careful eating, with an emphasis on protein consumption and control of calorie intake; and attention to sleep quality and habits that can damage it. Attia also emphasizes emotional health and the use of medication and food supplements, but with care and scientific backing.

The way in which these pillars of health and longevity should be worked on, however, varies from person to person, depending on biological, behavioral and environmental factors. It's a list that includes everything from laboratory tests, the risk of chronic diseases and eating habits to the social support network, exposure to pollutants, stress and place of residence.

The spread of medicine 3.0, coupled with advances in epigenetic research, which studies how these external factors can influence the activation or silencing of genes without altering the DNA sequence - also cited by Attia in her book - point to a promising future.

Epigenetic alterations are at the root of different types of metabolic, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, autoimmune diseases and cancers, the second leading cause of premature death worldwide, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO). Greater understanding of these diseases has led to the development of a new generation of drugs, which are revolutionizing medicine and opening up new life prospects for patients.

Behind all this movement, there are a number of companies and business opportunities emerging so that we can live longer, with a better quality of life. As personal stories like Peter Attia's show, advances and scientific research, health and well-being are an investment with a guaranteed return.

* Fabiano Zettel is the founder of Moriah Asset, the first investment vehicle in Brazil to focus exclusively on health and wellness companies.

** Originally published on the IstoÉ website.