Exercise Myth Busted: New Study Says It's Just One Piece of the Longevity Puzzle
A landmark prospective twin study from Jyväskylä sheds light on the complex relationship between exercise, biological aging, and all-cause mortality. Key findings inside!
DR T S DIDWAL MD
12/18/20234 min read
In a groundbreaking study in MedRxiv, the long-standing debate on the relationship between physical activity and ageing takes center stage. This prospective twin study delves into the associations of long-term physical activity in adulthood with later biological ageing and all-cause mortality. Let's unravel the key findings and explore how our daily choices may influence not just how long we live but how well we age.
Key Points
Long-Term LTPA Patterns: The study identifies four classes of long-term leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), revealing distinctive engagement levels from sedentary to highly active.
Biological Aging's Impact: Both sedentary and highly active groups exhibit accelerated biological aging, prompting a closer examination of how different activity levels influence the aging process.
Mortality Benefits: Physically active classes showcase up to a 7% lower risk of total mortality, particularly in the short term, emphasizing the immediate advantages of an active lifestyle.
Role of Biological Aging: Biological aging emerges as a key mediator, weaving connections between long-term LTPA and favorable mortality outcomes, highlighting the intricate relationship between our biological clock and physical activity.
Reverse Causality Challenges: The study unveils the vulnerability of the LTPA-mortality association to reverse causality, challenging conventional beliefs and emphasizing the need to consider underlying physiological states.
Genetic and Environmental Factors: Within-twin-pair comparisons reveal the influence of shared genetic and environmental factors on the associations between long-term LTPA and mortality, adding complexity to our understanding of the interplay between genetics, lifestyle, and lifespan.
The University of Jyväskylä's recent study investigates the intricate relationship between longevity and lifestyle factors, focusing on the impact of exercise and other health-related habits. While genetics and gender remain unmodifiable factors, the study emphasizes the malleability of lifestyle choices such as nutrition, physical activity, stress reduction, smoking cessation, and adequate sleep. This study by the University of Jyväskylä delves into the complex relationship between longevity and lifestyle choices, highlighting the potential limitations of attributing longevity solely to exercise.
Objectives: The study by Kankaanpää et al. aimed to investigate the intricate relationship between long-term physical activity (LTPA) in adulthood, biological aging, and all-cause mortality. Utilizing a robust prospective twin study design, the researchers sought to disentangle the potential influence of familial factors from the observed associations.
Methodology: Participants were categorized into four LTPA groups: sedentary, moderately active, active, and highly active, based on self-reported leisure-time physical activity data spanning 1975–1990. Survival models were employed to evaluate differences in total, short-term, and long-term all-cause mortality among these groups. Multilevel models for twin data were implemented to control for shared familial environmental and genetic influences.
Key Findings:
Long-Term LTPA Patterns:
Identified four classes of long-term LTPA: sedentary, moderately active, active, and highly active.
Biological aging was accelerated in both sedentary and highly active classes.
Biological Aging and Mortality:
After adjusting for lifestyle factors, the associations between LTPA and biological aging were attenuated.
Physically active classes had a maximum 7% lower risk of total mortality compared to sedentary classes, mainly in the short term.
Biological aging appeared to mediate the favorable associations between long-term LTPA and mortality.
Impact of Prevalent Diseases and Reverse Causality:
Exclusion criteria for prevalent diseases affected the association between LTPA and mortality, suggesting susceptibility to reverse causality.
Associations weakened when prevalent diseases were used as exclusion criteria rather than covariates.
Twin Study Design:
Within-twin-pair comparisons were influenced by how prevalent diseases were controlled for.
Associations between long-term LTPA and mortality were partly accounted for by shared genetic and environmental factors.
DNAm-Based Biological Aging:
Biological aging, assessed through epigenetic clocks, showed differences between sedentary and active classes, but these differences diminished after adjusting for other lifestyle factors.
Highly active individuals were, on average, biologically older when using specific epigenetic markers.
Strengths:
Focus on modifiable factors: The study emphasizes the malleability of lifestyle choices like nutrition, physical activity, and stress management, empowering individuals to take control of their health.
Challenges assumptions: By questioning the "exercise-as-sole-determinant" of longevity, the study encourages a more nuanced understanding of the multifaceted factors influencing mortality.
Robust methodology: Utilizing data from a large twin cohort and employing detailed categorization of physical activity levels strengthens the study's findings.
Introduces "compensatory belief": This concept sheds light on the misconception that one positive behaviour can negate the impact of unhealthy habits, promoting a more holistic approach to health.
Weaknesses:
Limited population: The study focuses on Finns, potentially limiting the generalizability of the findings to other populations.
Confounding variables: While additional lifestyle factors were considered, other unmeasured variables could influence the results.
Directionality is unclear: the study establishes correlations but cannot definitively prove causal relationships between specific lifestyle choices and longevity.
Significance: This study contributes to the ongoing debate regarding the causal relationship between LTPA and longevity. Employing a twin study design and controlling for familial factors provides a more nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between lifestyle choices, genetic predisposition, and mortality outcomes. While confirming the benefits of sustained physical activity, the study emphasizes the importance of considering additional health determinants when promoting healthy aging and longevity. By emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach to health, it encourages individuals to adopt and maintain a comprehensive set of healthy habits for optimal longevity. Future research exploring more diverse populations and investigating specific mechanisms underlying the observed associations will further strengthen our understanding of this crucial topic.
Additional Points:
The study aligns with the growing body of research highlighting the importance of non-exercise lifestyle factors for health and longevity.
The concept of "biological aging" could be further explored to elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying the observed differences between activity groups.
Future research could investigate the specific types and intensities of exercise that confer the most significant health benefits.
Conclusions:
Being physically active might be a marker of a healthy lifestyle, not a direct cause of reduced death risk.
Biological aging plays a role in the LTPA-mortality link.
Reverse causality and prevalent diseases complicate the analysis.
Future research may explore the mechanisms behind LTPA's health effects using DNA methylation markers.
Reference Article
Kankaanpää, A., Tolvanen, A., Joensuu, L., Waller, K., Heikkinen, A., Kaprio, J., Ollikainen, M., & Sillanpää, E. The associations of long-term physical activity in adulthood with later biological ageing and all-cause mortality – a prospective twin study. MedRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.06.02.23290916
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