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There is a feeling that everyone has been obsessed with returning the watch lately, whether it means booking a Botox meeting, leveling your game with supplements, or going on a full throttle on any fantastic longevity treatments. And thanks to the growing set of research, we now know that this it It is possible to hack your health and slow down the pace of cellular aging (also known as organic aging) to some extent.
But although the percentage we are aging has always been attributed to the unique combination of genetics, lifestyle factors and your environment, a new scientific study suggests that it may not be so complicated – and your genes may actually be the most -the little important factor.
This is great news if your family has certain diseases (the disease can be a major component in cell aging). It also means that you may have more control over aging than you think. Here’s what the study finds, plus the factors that seem more important for the aging of cell aging than others.
To meet the experts: M. Austin Argentry, Doctor of Science, lead author of research and research associate at Harvard/MGH Center for Genomics, Vulnerable Population and Health Differences; Cornelia Van Dune, Doctor of Sciences, co -author and professor at the University of Oxford Nufield Department of Population Health; Alfred F. Talia, Doctor of Medicine, MPH, Professor and Chairman of Family Medicine and Community Health at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
What did the study find?
The study published in Natural medicineThey looked at data from about half a million people who participated in the British Biobank, a biomedical database that contains genetic, health and lifestyle information.
Using this data, researchers analyzed the influence of nearly 165 environmental elements and genetic risk factors in 22 major age -related diseases and premature death cases.
There were many different discoveries, but the most precious was that the factors related to the lifestyle and the environment of a person played a greater role in biological aging than their genetics.
“Environmental factors explained 17 percent of the risk difference, compared to less than 2 percent explained with genetic predisposition,” says Dr. Cornelia Van Dune, co-author and professor at the University of Oxford Nufield, Department of Population healthcare.
What environmental factors contribute to aging?
Environmental factors include the things that surround you in your daily life that can affect your health, such as the amount of air pollution you are exposed to or where you live. Researchers have found that the following environmental factors have the worst effect on aging:
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Did people live with a partner
What lifestyle factors contribute to aging?
Lifestyle factors usually relate to the daily habits and personal choices that one makes that can affect their health. The largest participants in the aging include:
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Level of physical activity
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You go to the gym at least once a week
This particular study did not look at the diet, which is usually considered a big factor in lifestyle. “The diet was a very difficult factor in our study. We do not have many answers to the diet, “says M. Austin Argenti, a doctor of science, a leading author of a study and research associate at Harvard Center on Genomics, a vulnerable population and health differences.
“This does not mean that the diet may not be important for mortality and aging – it is probably – but more recently, we just didn’t have enough reliable diet ratings in British Biobank to satisfy our strict quality control criteria” , says Argentry.
How do these factors affect our cellular and brain aging?
Experts agree that environmental and lifestyle factors clearly play a “huge role” in aging, says Alfred F. Talia, Doctor of Medicine, MPH, Professor and President of Family Medicine and Community Health at Rutgers Robert Medical University Wood Johnson. But exactly how they affect our bodies and our aging depends on which one you are looking at, says Van Dune.
A big factor? “We find big differences if we increase the disease,” she says.
The disease can lead to the aging of cells faster, as stress from combat diseases can lead to cellular damage, inflammation and interruptions in normal cellular processes, explains D -° C.
For example, smoking is a major player in some diseases (it may increase the chances of developing certain cancers, among others), but this was not the main player in any disease. And environmental stress, such as air pollution toxins, can significantly accelerate aging and play a factor in the development of diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, says Dr. Talia. Lifestyle factors – Consider smoking, drinking, lack of exercise – can also accelerate aging.
Do genes play a role?
Yes, genes still play a role, especially because they can contribute to the development of certain genetic diseases. However, the amount of genetic risk contributes to some chronic illness varies depending on the disease, says Argentiers, adding: “Dement, breast cancer and ovarian cancer are much more than genetics than lung diseases, heart and heart disease The liver. “
But it can be difficult to determine exactly how likely someone is to develop a disease or condition based on genetics only, says D -Ralia. That is why lifestyles and environmental factors are so important.
“The more an individual can take control of his life and create a healthy life by adapting to stressors in a sustainable way, the better,” he says.
Is it possible to turn biological aging?
Biological aging studies are still ongoing, but there are some data that suggests that you can gain your biological age by making these lifestyle changes:
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Aim for at least seven hours of sleep per night
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Try to maintain a healthy weight
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Take at least 150 minutes of exercise per week
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Maintain good oral hygiene
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Do your best to stay on top of stress levels
After all, doctors just recommend doing everything you can when it comes to choosing a lifestyle that affect your biological age and the risk of developing diseases. Even smaller changes can have a great impact on the road.
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