---
title: "Genes or Lifestyle: A Geneticist Explains Why 50% of Your Health Depends on Your Habits"
description: "Geneticist Mykytenko explained that genes account for only 20–25% of health, while 50% depends on lifestyle. The expert warned against unlicensed DNA diet tests and spoke about the role of habits in fertility and risks."
date: 2026-08-28T06:44:04.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/genes-or-lifestyle-what-actually-affects-health-more-en
tags: [genetics, lifestyle, health, dna-tests, fertility, atherosclerosis]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Genes or Lifestyle: A Geneticist Explains Why 50% of Your Health Depends on Your Habits

![Mature couple in the kitchen preparing a healthy salad with fresh vegetables and checking a recipe on a laptop, illustrating the role of eating habits in health](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/28/geny-ili-obraz-zhizni-chto-bolshe-vliyaet-na-zdorove/geny-ili-obraz-zhizni-chto-bolshe-vliyaet-na-zdorove-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Genetics affects health by only 20–25%, lifestyle by 50%, healthcare by 10%, and living conditions by 15–20%
- With the same genetic risk (e.g., of atherosclerosis), the outcome is largely determined by a person's behavior
- Many couples with "infertility" have subfertility, which can be corrected conservatively before IVF
- The expert calls commercial DNA diet tests uncertified speculation without medical licenses

The question of what determines health more strongly — heredity or everyday routine — remains one of the most debated in medicine. According to geneticist Mykytenko, cited by RBC-Ukraine, genetic factors account for only 20–25% of a person's condition, provided we are not talking about strictly hereditary diseases. "You can't blame all your problems on genetics. It affects health by only 20–25%, unless we are specifically talking about genetic diseases," the expert notes. Thus, the main share of responsibility for well-being lies not in the "cards" you are dealt, but in the decisions a person makes every day.

### How the Influence on Health Is Distributed

The expert provides a specific breakdown: about 10% of the influence on the body's condition comes from the healthcare system, 15–20% from living conditions, and a full 50% from lifestyle — what a person eats, how much water they drink, and how they sleep. "Therefore, we are able to change far more than we think," the geneticist emphasizes. This model means that even with unfavorable heredity, correcting everyday habits can significantly shift indicators in a positive direction, while with good heredity, ignoring them gradually "eats away" the genetic reserve of resilience.

### The Same Risk — Different Scenarios

The geneticist illustrates the point with the example of atherosclerosis: with the same genetic risk of developing the disease, people behave differently. Some consciously provoke their bodies by choosing fatty meat, while others bet on diet fish. In his words, adjusting everyday habits allows you to effectively influence specific body indicators — weight, endocrine disorders, fertility. In other words, heredity sets only a predisposition, and whether it is realized largely depends on a person's behavior.

### Subfertility: When IVF Is Not the Only Path

Separately, the expert addresses the topic of reproductive health. "Many couples undergoing IVF treatment do not have infertility as such — they have a state of subfertility. That is, the ability to achieve pregnancy is reduced," Mykytenko explains. In his words, reproductive specialists first assess the factors of subfertility to help the couple conservatively, rather than immediately referring them to in vitro fertilization. This is yet another case where changing lifestyle and eliminating provoking factors can be the first and more gentle step.

### Oncology and Sports Genetics

At the same time, the geneticist honestly notes the limits of influence: oncology is practically impossible to prevent, however, knowledge of personal risks significantly facilitates early detection and medical follow-up. He separately discusses sports genetics — tests that help determine a predisposition to certain types of physical loads and the structure of muscle fibers, aerobic or sprinter type. "But such tests are worth doing if you are professionally going to engage in sports, not just going to the gym to maintain your health," the expert emphasizes.

### The Trap of Commercial DNA Diet Tests

A special warning from the geneticist is directed at commercial DNA diet tests. "Don't be taken in by meaningless tests — a diet based on DNA, which tell you how much and what to eat. This is speculation. Such tests are not certified. Laboratories do not have medical licenses and bear no responsibility. It is better to follow the rules of a healthy plate," he says. Thus, instead of expensive and unlicensed "genetic diets," the expert recommends relying on proven principles of rational nutrition. The material is for general educational purposes and is not a medical consultation: in case of health problems, it is necessary to consult a qualified doctor.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Genes or Lifestyle: What Actually Affects Health More](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/geni-chi-sposib-zhittya-shcho-naspravdi-bilshe-1787772034.html) - Первичный источник: цитаты генетика Микитенко о доле генетики (20–25%), образа жизни (50%), здравоохранения (10%), условий проживания (15–20%), о субфертильности, спортивной генетике и критике коммерческих ДНК-тестов на питание. Цифры отражают позицию эксперта.
- [Doctor Listed the Factors That Critically Worsen the Health of Modern Schoolchildren](https://kubnews.ru/obshchestvo/2026/08/27/vrach-perechislil-faktory-kriticheski-ukhudshayushchie-zdorove-sovremennykh-shkolnikov/) - Подтверждено по источнику kubnews.ru
- [Scientists on Alcohol: Even One Glass of Wine or Beer a Day Can Affect Health](https://trendymen.ru/lifestyle/health/141086/) - Подтверждено по источнику trendymen.ru
- [Healthism: How Caring for Health Turns Into a Source of Anxiety](https://snob.ru/profile/31924/blog/3119898/) - Подтверждено по источнику snob.ru

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: How strongly do genes affect health?
**A:** According to geneticist Mykytenko, genetic factors determine the state of health by only 20–25%, provided we are not talking about strictly hereditary diseases. The rest is lifestyle, living conditions, and the healthcare system.

### Q: What, according to the expert, affects health the most?
**A:** The most — lifestyle: about 50% of the influence. This includes nutrition, the amount of water consumed, and sleep patterns. Living conditions account for 15–20%, healthcare for about 10%.

### Q: Is it worth taking commercial DNA diet tests?
**A:** The expert does not recommend it: he calls such tests uncertified speculation, notes that laboratories do not have medical licenses and bear no responsibility, and advises instead to follow the principles of the "healthy plate."

### Q: Can oncology be completely prevented?
**A:** No, according to the geneticist, oncology is practically impossible to prevent. However, knowledge of personal risks significantly facilitates early detection and medical follow-up.