Research published in Neurology has found that healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of stroke, dementia, and depression, even in individuals with shortened telomeres. Telomeres are protective caps on chromosomes that naturally shorten as we age or are exposed to environmental stress.
A study analyzing data from 356,000 participants in the UK Biobank discovered that those with shorter telomeres but healthier behaviors had no elevated risk compared to their peers with longer telomeres. This suggests that lifestyle interventions can promote brain health and mitigate the effects of accelerated cellular aging.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Tamara Kimball, notes that reducing risk factors such as weight, alcohol consumption, sleep deprivation, and physical inactivity can help reverse the risk of age-related brain diseases, even for individuals already showing signs of biological aging. The findings emphasize the importance of starting healthy habits at any age to protect against age-related brain diseases.
The research team used the McCance Brain Care Score to assess participants’ lifestyle behaviors and found that a high score (indicating healthier lifestyle choices) mitigated the effects of short telomeres on cerebral health. This suggests that making conscious lifestyle changes can have a positive impact on brain health, even in the face of accelerated aging.
While the study has limitations, including only considering individuals of European descent, it highlights the potential for lifestyle interventions to slow aging’s effects on the brain. Future research should explore the effectiveness of these interventions in mitigating adverse biological aging effects and promoting overall brain health.
Source: https://neurosciencenews.com/telomere-brain-aging-29258