Exploratory Animal and Medical Research (Jun 2024)
BIOLOGICAL AGE AND LIFESTYLE: KEY DECIDING FACTORS OF AGING AND DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY
Abstract
The biological age of an individual depends mainly on the genetic status and different epigenetic influences experienced by the individual and it has a direct relationship with aging and suffering from different diseases. It can be understood from the observable physiological parameters like the level of specific health indicators in the body, status of vision and hearing, condition of joints, immunity, nutritional status, presence of inflammatory markers and certain proteins in the blood, etc. Determining factors of biological age include the level of oxidative stress, glycation pattern of the DNA, protein, and lipid; different epigenetic factors, etc. The main genetic biomarkers of biological aging are the length of the telomeres, DNA methylation pattern, and the status of the epigenetic clock of an individual. The epigenetic and other related factors causing early aging and more susceptibility towards gene-related or unrelated diseases can be prevented and reversed by the exclusion of the detrimental practices from the lifestyle along with the inclusion of some positive factors. Lifestyle and nutrigenetics are the subjects engaged in the related study. The 'unique disease principle' describes diseases as an outcome of the disease reasons and environmental conditions (including health status) at the individual level. The microbiome profile and individual immunity status are given importance for the selection of ways to combat diseases in the Molecular Pathological Epidemiology (MPE). A specific diet plan, the DIP diet, is advocated along with following a designed lifestyle and getting assistance with some diseasespecific physical measures for combating lifestyle diseases. The succulent parts of the effective medicinal plants are recommended for their direct therapeutic use in unaltered conditions in the form of biocapsules prepared without the addition of any materials of synthetic origin along with following a designed lifestyle is another branch of research related to the topic.
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