For most diseases, genetics only play a 5% role in the risk of developing them. The majority risk comes from environment, lifestyle, metabolism, and viral or bacterial exposure.

Autophagy is a cellular recycling process that eliminates damaged cells and slows down aging. Most anti-aging interventions involve the enhancement of autophagy in some way, including caloric restriction.

The APOE4 gene is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease due to its involvement in developing proteins that cause dementia. This study is the first to link APOE4 with tau protein aggregation.

Type 2 diabetics who lost weight successfully reversed the condition during a 2-year study. Excess fat in the liver and pancreas switches off genes that direct how insulin should be produced.