Physical activity and health: Findings from Finnish monozygotic twin pairs discordant for physical activity

Biomarkers of aging: from molecules and surrogates to physiology and function

Many countries face an unprecedented challenge in aging demographics. This has led to an exponential growth in research on aging, which, coupled to a massive financial influx of funding in the private and public sectors, has resulted in seminal insights into the underpinnings of this biological process. However, critical validation in humans has been hampered by the limited translatability of results obtained in model organisms, additionally confined by the need for extremely time-consuming clinical studies in the ostensible absence of robust biomarkers that would allow monitoring in shorter time frames. In the future, molecular parameters might hold great promise in this regard. In contrast, biomarkers centered on function, resilience, and frailty are available at the present time, with proven predictive value for morbidity and mortality. In this review, the current knowledge of molecular and physiological aspects of human aging, potential antiaging strategies, and the basis, evidence, and potential application of physiological biomarkers in human aging are discussed.

Metabolomics efficiently discriminates monozygotic twins in peripheral blood

Monozygotic (MZ) twins cannot be distinguished using conventional forensic STR typing because they present identical STR genotypings. However, MZ twins do not always live in the same environment and often have different dietary and other lifestyle habits. Metabolic profiles are deyermined by individual characteristics and are also influenced by the environment in which they live. Therefore, they are potential markers capable of identifying MZ twins. Moreover, the production of proteins varies from organism to organism and is influenced by both the physiological state of the body and the external environment. Hence, we used metabolomics and proteomics to identify metabolites and proteins in peripheral blood to discriminate MZ twins. We identified 1749 known metabolites and 622 proteins in proteomic analysis. The metabolic profiles of four pairs of MZ twins revealed minor differences in intra-MZ twins and major differences in inter-MZ twins. Each pair of MZ twins exhibited distinct characteristics, and four metabolites-methyl picolinate, acesulfame, paraxanthine, and phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid-were observed in all four MZ twin pairs. These four differential exogenous metabolites conincidently show that the different external environments and life styles can be well distinguished by metabolites, considering that twins do not all have the same eating habits and living environments. Moreover, MZ twins showed different protein profiles in serum but not in whole blood. Thus, our results indicate that differential metabolites provide potential biomarkers for the personal identification of MZ twins in forensic medicine.

Genetic Liability to Cardiovascular Disease, Physical Activity, and Mortality: Findings from the Finnish Twin Cohort

PURPOSE

We investigated whether longitudinally assessed physical activity (PA) and adherence specifically to World Health Organization PA guidelines mitigate or moderate mortality risk regardless of genetic liability to cardiovascular disease (CVD). We also estimated the causality of the PA-mortality association.

METHODS

The study used the older Finnish Twin Cohort with 4897 participants aged 33 to 60 yr (54.3% women). Genetic liability to coronary heart disease and systolic and diastolic blood pressure was estimated with polygenic risk scores (PRS) derived from the Pan-UK Biobank ( N ≈ 400,000; >1,000,000 genetic variants). Leisure-time PA was assessed with validated and structured questionnaires three times during 1975 to 1990. The main effects of adherence to PA guidelines and the PRS × PA interactions were evaluated with Cox proportional hazards models against all-cause and CVD mortality. A cotwin control design with 180 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for meeting the guidelines was used for causal inference.

RESULTS

During the 17.4-yr (mean) follow-up (85,136 person-years), 1195 participants died, with 389 CVD deaths. PRS (per 1 SD increase) were associated with a 17% to 24% higher CVD mortality risk but not with all-cause mortality except for the PRS for diastolic blood pressure. Adherence to PA guidelines did not show significant independent main effects or interactions with all-cause or CVD mortality. Twins whose activity levels adhered to PA guidelines over a 15-yr period did not have statistically significantly reduced mortality risk compared with their less active identical twin sibling. The findings were similar among high, intermediate, and low genetic risk levels for CVD.

CONCLUSIONS

The genetically informed Finnish Twin Cohort data could not confirm that adherence to PA guidelines either mitigates or moderates genetic CVD risk or causally reduces mortality risk.

Evaluation of national fitness and national health development and coupling and coordination in 11 provinces and cities in Eastern China

Under the influence of development strategies with regard to national fitness and health in China, the interactive development between national fitness and national health is becoming increasingly strong. To explore the coupling and coordination relationship between national fitness and national health, this paper conducts an empirical analysis of the coupling and coordination relationship between national fitness and national health in 11 provinces and cities in Eastern China using the entropy weight method, a coupling coordination model, spatial visualization of the coupling coordination degree and spatial autocorrelation analysis. The research confirms that the comprehensive development level of national fitness and national health in Eastern China shows a steady upward trend, with a lag in national fitness as a whole, and that the growth rate of national fitness development is faster than that of national health development. The coupling coordination degree of the two systems of national fitness and national health in Eastern China shows a slow upward trend, and the coupling coordination degree rises from barely coordinated to primary coordination. There are significant differences in the spatial pattern of coupling coordination: the spatial pattern from north to south generally shows 'low-high-high-low-high-low' characteristics, and the spatial spillover effect of coupling coordination in various regions has not yet appeared. The revised GM(1.1) prediction results indicate that the level and improvement rate of coupling coordination will accelerate significantly in the next 10 years, but the spatial differences will still exist. Finally, suggestions are proposed to optimize the coupling and coordinated development of national fitness and national health based on policy guarantees as well as strengthening and cross-regional cooperation.

The association of adolescent fitness with cardiometabolic diseases in late adulthood: A 45-year longitudinal study

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to examine the associations of adolescent cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscular fitness (MF), and speed-agility fitness (SA) with middle-aged cardiometabolic disease risk and explore sex differences.

METHODS

This 45-year prospective cohort study examined the associations between objectively measured fitness at adolescence (12-19 years) and physician-ascertained diabetes mellitus, elevated blood pressure (BP), and coronary heart disease reported either in early (37-44 years) or late (57-64 years) middle age, and self-measurement of waist circumference (WC) in late middle age. Fitness measurements for healthy adolescents in baseline included CRF (1.5 km [girls] and 2 km [boys] run), MF (standing broad jump, sit-ups, pull-ups [boys], and flexed-arm hang [girls]), and SA (50 m dash and 4 × 10 m shuttle run). Logistic regression and general linear models were adjusted for baseline age, sex, and body mass index (BMI), involving data from baseline and at least one follow-up measurement (N up to 1358, 47% males).

RESULTS

Adolescent CRF was inversely, and regardless of adiposity, associated with middle age accumulated burden of cardiometabolic conditions in the whole sample (N = 562, ß = -0.10, 95% confidence intervals [CI] [-0.18, -0.03], p = 0.006), and elevated BP in females (N = 256, OR = 0.71, 95% CI [0.51, 0.91]). Overall, we observed stronger associations in females than in males. An inverse association of adolescent MF and SA with middle-aged WC was observed, but it did not show as consistent associations as with CRF.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, adolescent fitness, particularly CRF, was inversely associated with the burden of cardiometabolic conditions up to 45 years. Promotion of fitness in youth may be beneficial in preventing adulthood cardiometabolic diseases.

How can physical activity facilitate a sustainable future? Reducing obesity and chronic disease

This review examines the ways in which physical activity can contribute to a sustainable future by addressing significant public health issues. The review begins by identifying obesity and ageing as two major challenges facing societies around the world due to the association of both with the risk of chronic disease. Recent developments in the understanding and treatment of obesity are examined followed by an appraisal of the role of exercise alone and in combination with other therapies in preventing and managing obesity. The review then addresses the interaction between exercise and appetite due to the central role appetite plays in the development of overweight and obesity. The final section of the review examines the potential of physical activity to combat age-related chronic disease risk including CVD, cancer and dementia. It is concluded that while bariatric surgery and pharmacotherapy are the most effective treatments for severe obesity, physical activity has a role to play facilitating and enhancing weight loss in combination with other methods. Where weight/fat reduction via exercise is less than expected this is likely due to metabolic adaptation induced by physiological changes facilitating increased energy intake and decreased energy expenditure. Physical activity has many health benefits independent of weight control including reducing the risk of developing CVD, cancer and dementia and enhancing cognitive function in older adults. Physical activity may also provide resilience for future generations by protecting against the more severe effects of global pandemics and reducing greenhouse gas emissions via active commuting.

The molecular athlete: exercise physiology from mechanisms to medals

Human skeletal muscle demonstrates remarkable plasticity, adapting to numerous external stimuli including the habitual level of contractile loading. Accordingly, muscle function and exercise capacity encompass a broad spectrum, from inactive individuals with low levels of endurance and strength to elite athletes who produce prodigious performances underpinned by pleiotropic training-induced muscular adaptations. Our current understanding of the signal integration, interpretation, and output coordination of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern muscle plasticity across this continuum is incomplete. As such, training methods and their application to elite athletes largely rely on a "trial-and-error" approach, with the experience and practices of successful coaches and athletes often providing the bases for "post hoc" scientific enquiry and research. This review provides a synopsis of the morphological and functional changes along with the molecular mechanisms underlying exercise adaptation to endurance- and resistance-based training. These traits are placed in the context of innate genetic and interindividual differences in exercise capacity and performance, with special consideration given to aging athletes. Collectively, we provide a comprehensive overview of skeletal muscle plasticity in response to different modes of exercise and how such adaptations translate from "molecules to medals."