For several decades, research has been carried out to delay the aging processes and prevent the appearance of chronic diseases in adults. But why do some people seem to age more slowly than others?
Besides, Is it true that genetic predispositions to diseases tend to manifest more frequently in old age?
Everyone inherits a unique set of genes from their parents and these can influence how you age. Certain variants in some genes can accelerate aging, while others can slow it down. Likewise, some genes could predispose one to suffer from pathologies and others would provide certain protection.
This balance between predisposition and genetic protection to diseases is affected by lifestyle and aging, mainly by the following factors:
- Accumulation of genetic damage: Throughout life, cells accumulate damage to their genetic material due to factors such as radiation, chemicals, and oxidative stress. Over time, this deterioration can increase the likelihood that genes will become altered and stop working, which can trigger or aggravate pre-existing health conditions.
- Cellular aging and decline of repair systems: With age, cellular repair and genetic maintenance systems tend to lose efficiency. Genes, cells and organs alter their structure and function, increasing the risk of tumors, heart, kidney or other organ failure, decreased muscle mass (sarcopenia) and bone, among others.
- Interaction of genes with the environment: Often, genetic predispositions to diseases interact with environmental and lifestyle factors over time. As you age, you are more likely to be exposed to certain environmental factors (accumulation of toxins, for example) or chronic stress, which can activate or exacerbate genetic predisposition to various pathologies.
Some diseases may manifest from an early age, while others may not occur at all throughout life due to protective factors or lack of specific environmental triggers.
The impact of a person’s lifestyle will be felt in the medium and long term due to the damage accumulated during their life. In this sense, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, being overweight and high consumption of saturated fats are risk factors for the development of type II diabetes, high blood pressure, dementia, cognitive impairment and other chronic conditions, including certain types of cancer.
Excessive consumption of meat and saturated fats can increase inflammation in the body and brain, atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular events, with the risk of suffering from certain diseases.
In summary, although genetics plays an important role, we must not forget that lifestyle is also crucial for healthy aging. Balanced nutrition such as the Mediterranean diet, regular physical exercise, stress management, consuming fewer calories and less frequently, avoiding tobacco and excess alcohol can have a significant impact on longevity and quality of life, even if There are unfavorable genetic predispositions.
Geneticist, medical director of Gempre Genómica.
Source: Ambito
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