Scientists from Guangxi Medical University found that a healthy lifestyle effectively reduces the genetic risk of thyroid cancer. The research was published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
The analysis included data from approximately 265,000 participants, aged 40 to 69, selected from the British Biobank. In the 11 years after the start of the study, 423 cases of thyroid cancer were identified.
The scientists confirmed a statistically significant association between the likelihood of developing thyroid cancer and higher polygenic risk (PRS) rates, depending on the presence of certain genetic variants in a person. By itself, an unhealthy lifestyle was associated with almost the same chance of getting sick as carrying the “wrong” genes.
These risks were summarized in predisposed and unhealthy lifestyles; this was assessed by whether the subjects smoked, their weight, what they ate and how much they moved.
The results of the study show that adherence to a healthier lifestyle may reduce the negative role of genetic factors in the risk of developing thyroid cancer, especially in individuals with a high genetic risk.