Scientists Identify 8 Lifestyle Factors That Can Slow Biological Aging

TOPICS:AgingAmerican Heart AssociationHeartPublic Health

By AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION JUNE 3, 2024

Recent research indicates that maintaining a heart-healthy lifestyle can positively impact biological aging and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and related mortality. The study focused on DNA methylation as a key mediator in this process. By analyzing data from the Framingham Heart Study, the findings highlighted that improvements in lifestyle factors could significantly lower cardiovascular risks, especially for individuals genetically predisposed to accelerated aging. These insights emphasize the role of lifestyle modifications in promoting cardiovascular health and longevity.( )

A new study suggests that higher lifestyle scores could be linked to a positive impact on risk factors for heart disease, potentially influencing the aging process of the body and its cells.

New research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that adopting heart-healthy lifestyle factors may benefit heart health by positively influencing biological aging, which refers to the age of the body and its cells.( )

“Our study findings tell us that no matter what your actual age is, better heart-healthy behaviors and managing heart disease risk factors were associated with a younger biological age and a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, death from heart disease and stroke and death from any cause,” said Jiantao Ma, Ph.D., senior study author and an assistant professor in the division of nutrition epidemiology and data science at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston.( )

The Role of DNA Methylation in Cardiovascular Health

This research examined if DNA methylation, a chemical process that controls gene expression, could be a way in which factors related to cardiovascular health influence cellular aging and mortality risk. DNA methylation levels are a leading biomarker for assessing biological age. While genetics largely determine biological age, it can also be affected by lifestyle choices and stress.

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