Intrinsic and environmental basis of aging: A narrative review
Carla Navarro,
Juan Salazar,
María P. Díaz,
Maricarmen Chacin,
Raquel Santeliz,
Ivana Vera,
Luis D′Marco,
Heliana Parra,
Mary Carlota Bernal,
Ana Castro,
Daniel Escalona,
Henry García-Pacheco,
Valmore Bermúdez
Affiliations
Carla Navarro
Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Research Center. School of Medicine. University of Zulia. Maracaibo 4001, Venezuela
Juan Salazar
Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Research Center. School of Medicine. University of Zulia. Maracaibo 4001, Venezuela; Corresponding author. Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, School of Medicine, University of Zulia. Maracaibo, Venezuela.
María P. Díaz
Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Research Center. School of Medicine. University of Zulia. Maracaibo 4001, Venezuela
Maricarmen Chacin
Universidad Simón Bolívar, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Barranquilla 080001, Colombia
Raquel Santeliz
Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Research Center. School of Medicine. University of Zulia. Maracaibo 4001, Venezuela
Ivana Vera
Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Research Center. School of Medicine. University of Zulia. Maracaibo 4001, Venezuela
Luis D′Marco
Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU Medicine Department, CEU Universities, 46115 Valencia, Spain
Heliana Parra
Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Research Center. School of Medicine. University of Zulia. Maracaibo 4001, Venezuela
Mary Carlota Bernal
Universidad Simón Bolívar, Facultad de Ingenierías, Cúcuta, Colombia
Ana Castro
Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Research Center. School of Medicine. University of Zulia. Maracaibo 4001, Venezuela
Daniel Escalona
Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Research Center. School of Medicine. University of Zulia. Maracaibo 4001, Venezuela
Henry García-Pacheco
Universidad del Zulia, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Cirugía. Hospital General del Sur “Dr. Pedro Iturbe”. Maracaibo, Venezuela; Unidad de Cirugía para la Obesidad y Metabolismo (UCOM). Maracaibo, Venezuela
Valmore Bermúdez
Universidad Simón Bolívar, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Barranquilla 080001, Colombia
Longevity has been a topic of interest since the beginnings of humanity, yet its aetiology and precise mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Aging is currently viewed as a physiological phenomenon characterized by the gradual degeneration of organic physiology and morphology due to the passage of time where both external and internal stimuli intervene. The influence of intrinsic factors, such as progressive telomere shortening, genome instability due to mutation buildup, the direct or indirect actions of age-related genes, and marked changes in epigenetic, metabolic, and mitochondrial patterns constitute a big part of its underlying endogenous mechanisms. On the other hand, several psychosocial and demographic factors, such as diet, physical activity, smoking, and drinking habits, may have an even more significant impact on shaping the aging process. Consequentially, implementing dietary and exercise patterns has been proposed as the most viable alternative strategy for attenuating the most typical degenerative aging changes, thus increasing the likelihood of prolonging lifespan and achieving successful aging.
