Researchers have identified eight healthy behaviors, known as Life’s Essential 8, that can slow the aging process and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and death. These behaviors include eating healthy foods, being more active, quitting tobacco, getting adequate sleep, managing weight, and maintaining healthy cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels. The study involved 5,682 adult subjects who were given a cardiovascular health score based on various behavioral and clinical measurements, such as diet, physical activity, smoking status, body mass index, cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure.
Biological age, which is determined by genetics, environmental exposures, and lifestyle factors, was used to estimate the aging of participants’ cells. The researchers found that individuals with higher scores on the eight measures were less likely to develop cardiovascular disease. Each 13-point increase in participants’ scores reduced their risk of developing first-time cardiovascular disease by about 35%, of dying from cardiovascular disease by 36%, and of dying from any cause by 29%. People with rapid cell aging can decrease their risk by managing their heart disease risk factors and adopting more heart-healthy behaviors.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, followed participants for 11 to 14 years and found that those who followed the Life’s Essential 8 checklist had a lower biological age and a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, or death from any cause. The researchers used DNA methylation to estimate biological age and examined each individual’s genetic tendency towards accelerated biological aging. According to senior study author Jiantao Ma, following heart-healthy behaviors can lead to a younger biological age and a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease or dying from heart-related issues and other causes.
The researchers plan to expand their research to include more diverse ethnic groups to further investigate the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and biological age. These findings are in line with a previous study that showed that following the Life’s Essential 8 checklist can slow biological aging by an average of six years. Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death around the world, encompassing conditions such as heart failure, heart attacks, and strokes. By adopting heart-healthy behaviors and managing heart disease risk factors, individuals can potentially offset the effects of rapid cell aging and reduce their risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and other health issues.
