Adopting eight specific lifestyle habits can turn back the biological clock by as much as five years, a groundbreaking study suggests.
Researchers from Columbia University unveiled that following "Life's Essential 8" health behaviors might significantly decelerate biological aging, with a potential age discrepancy of up to five years, NBC News reported.
Presented at the American Heart Association's annual meeting, the study analyzed data from over 6,500 adults, using phenotypical age—which includes blood markers and actual age—to gauge biological deterioration compared to chronological age. These findings suggest that aligning with these eight modifiable health behaviors and factors can profoundly influence one's biological clock.
Phenotypical age is a metric that goes beyond mere birthdays to consider a person's biological wear and tear gauged through specific blood markers. This form of age measurement is closely linked with the likelihood of early mortality, thus serving as a reliable indicator of overall health.
Nour Makarem, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University, championed the study's insights. "By improving heart health, we can slow down our bodies' aging process," she explained, emphasizing the broader implications for longevity and wellness.
The "Life's Essential 8" health behaviors encapsulate diet, activity level, tobacco cessation, sleep quality, weight management, cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure control. Adhering to these recommendations, according to the study, can lead to a difference of up to five years in biological versus chronological age.
Makarem noted, "The cool thing is there are eight health factors and behaviors that are modifiable." This flexibility in lifestyle adjustments offers a hopeful message to individuals seeking to influence their aging process proactively.
Importantly, the study's findings also revealed a dose-dependent relationship, whereby increased adherence to these healthy behaviors correlates with slower biological aging. "Another important message is that what we observed was dose-dependent, which means that as heart health goes up, biological aging goes down," Makarem revealed.
This correlation underscores not only the significance of sustained healthy practices but also the potential for individuals to sway their biological age through lifestyle choices.
While the heart is a primary beneficiary of healthy habits, other organs also experience significant benefits. Dr. Howard Weintraub, a cardiologist and clinical director at NYU Langone Health, clarified, "What's nice about this study is that it shows that by doing things for your heart, you also see improvements in other organs, like the liver and the kidneys."
Such multi-organ improvements can enhance overall health and vitality, reducing the burden of disease and extending life quality and expectancy.
Dr. Weintraub shared an anecdote about the wake-up call patients often receive when confronted with visual evidence of their accelerated aging. "When I tell a 30-year-old patient that their carotid artery looks like that of a 55-year-old, it gets their attention," he said, highlighting the often visual and tangible benefits of sustained heart-healthy behaviors.
The tangible results echoed by imaging and physical diagnostics can motivate patients to adhere more strictly to recommended health guidelines.
While the findings are preliminary, they offer promising insights into the manageability of biological aging. Dr. Annapoorna Kini, director at Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital, noted, "We used to think that heart health was 50% inherited and 50% lifestyle." She now believes that this study, if replicated in larger cohorts, "may be a game changer."
With these optimistic projections, the medical community is eager for more extensive studies to confirm these potentially transformative effects on health and aging.
