The Association Between Regular Physical Exercise, Sleep Patterns, Fasting, and Autophagy for Healthy Longevity and Well-Being: A Narrative Review

Mechanisms, consequences and role of interventions for sleep deprivation: Focus on mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease in elderly

Sleep is established as an essential physiological need that impacts physical, emotional, and cognitive functions profoundly. Physiologically, inadequate sleep weakens immune function, heightening susceptibility to infections and chronic illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Hormonal disruptions due to sleep loss further exacerbate metabolic dysregulation, contributing to weight gain and other health complications. Emotionally, sleep deprivation leads to mood disturbances, including increased irritability, heightened stress responses, and a greater likelihood of mood disorders like depression and anxiety. These effects are compounded by cognitive impairments such as reduced alertness, impaired memory consolidation, and compromised decision-making abilities, akin to the impairments caused by alcohol consumption. Motor skills and coordination also suffer, elevating the risk of accidents, particularly in high-stress environments. For older adults, sleep quality is closely linked to cognitive function and overall longevity. Optimal sleep patterns are associated with slower brain aging and improved health outcomes. However, sleep disorders exacerbate existing conditions such as epilepsy and asthma, necessitating interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and medications such as melatonin to mitigate their impact. Education emerges as a crucial tool in promoting healthier sleep habits across all age groups. Addressing misconceptions about sleep and integrating sleep health into public health policies are essential steps toward improving overall well-being. Additionally, lifestyle factors such as diet and physical activity play significant roles in regulating sleep patterns, further emphasizing the interconnectedness of sleep with broader health outcomes. In summary, the articles underscore the intricate mechanisms through which sleep influences physiological functions and advocate for comprehensive approaches to enhance sleep hygiene and mitigate the adverse effects of sleep deprivation on human health.

From Agriculture to Clinics: Unlocking the Potential of Magnetized Water for Planetary and Human Health

Magnetized water (MW) is a form of liquid water that has been exposed to a magnetic field to alter its hydrogen bonding structure, resulting in the formation of water molecule clusters of various sizes and configurations connected by hydrogen bonds. This magnetization process induces several changes in the physicochemical properties of water, such as increased pH, electrical conductivity, and dissolved oxygen content, as well as decreased surface tension, density, and evaporation temperature compared to untreated water. In this narrative review, we explore the effective utilization of MW in agriculture, where it has a well-established history of applications, and its potential for direct applications in the medical field, which are currently at the forefront of research. MW is one of the most promising innovations for facilitating the transition from unsustainable to sustainable agriculture, which is expected to yield positive human health outcomes by promoting the consumption of less processed foods and reducing resource consumption. In addition to these indirect effects on human health, preclinical research utilizing animal models has demonstrated that water magnetization exerts beneficial effects on diabetes, renal function, bone health, and fertility. These health benefits appear to stem from the ability of MW to increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes while decreasing lipid peroxidation and inflammatory markers. In terms of direct human applications, MW has been primarily studied in the fields of dentistry and dermatology. MW mouthrinse has consistently shown efficacy against Streptococcus mutans, with studies reporting comparable effects to chlorhexidine. In dermatology, the topical application of MW has demonstrated improvements in skin biophysical parameters, increased hair count and hair mass index, and promoted the healing of challenging wounds. Intriguingly, these effects on human skin seem to be mediated by local activation of autophagy, potentially through mild alkaline stress. In conclusion, this review underscores the promising role of MW in promoting a holistic approach to planetary and human health. Future studies should focus on standardizing the magnetization process, exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying MW-induced autophagy, and investigating the potential of MW as a complementary strategy for treating human diseases characterized by impaired autophagy.

Autophagy in Its (Proper) Context: Molecular Basis, Biological Relevance, Pharmacological Modulation, and Lifestyle Medicine

Autophagy plays a critical role in maintaining cellular homeostasis and responding to various stress conditions by the degradation of intracellular components. In this narrative review, we provide a comprehensive overview of autophagy's cellular and molecular basis, biological significance, pharmacological modulation, and its relevance in lifestyle medicine. We delve into the intricate molecular mechanisms that govern autophagy, including macroautophagy, microautophagy and chaperone-mediated autophagy. Moreover, we highlight the biological significance of autophagy in aging, immunity, metabolism, apoptosis, tissue differentiation and systemic diseases, such as neurodegenerative or cardiovascular diseases and cancer. We also discuss the latest advancements in pharmacological modulation of autophagy and their potential implications in clinical settings. Finally, we explore the intimate connection between lifestyle factors and autophagy, emphasizing how nutrition, exercise, sleep patterns and environmental factors can significantly impact the autophagic process. The integration of lifestyle medicine into autophagy research opens new avenues for promoting health and longevity through personalized interventions.

Association between physical activity over a 10-year period and current insomnia symptoms, sleep duration and daytime sleepiness: a European population-based study

OBJECTIVES

To explore the relationship between physical activity over a 10-year period and current symptoms of insomnia, daytime sleepiness and estimated sleep duration in adults aged 39-67.

DESIGN

Population-based, multicentre cohort study.

SETTING

21 centres in nine European countries.

METHODS

Included were 4339 participants in the third follow-up to the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS III), who answered questions on physical activity at baseline (ECRHS II) and questions on physical activity, insomnia symptoms, sleep duration and daytime sleepiness at 10-year follow-up (ECRHS III). Participants who reported that they exercised with a frequency of at least two or more times a week, for 1 hour/week or more, were classified as being physically active. Changes in activity status were categorised into four groups: persistently non-active; became inactive; became active; and persistently active.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Insomnia, sleep time and daytime sleepiness in relation to physical activity.

RESULTS

Altogether, 37% of participants were persistently non-active, 25% were persistently active, 20% became inactive and 18% became active from baseline to follow-up. Participants who were persistently active were less likely to report difficulties initiating sleep (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.45-0.78), a short sleep duration of ≤6 hours/night (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59-0.85) and a long sleep of ≥9 hours/night (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.33-0.84) than persistently non-active subjects after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking history and study centre. Daytime sleepiness and difficulties maintaining sleep were not related to physical activity status.

CONCLUSION

Physically active people have a lower risk of some insomnia symptoms and extreme sleep durations, both long and short.

Short sleep time may be the main reason for irregular breakfast to cause overweight-a cross-sectional study

Introduction

In recent years, the relationship between circadian rhythm and overweight and obesity has attracted the attention of many scholars.

Methods

To evaluate association between the duration of sleep and the regularity of breakfast and overweight. A total of 1,178 students from Qingdao University were selected by stratified cluster sampling. There were 601 males (24.69 ± 0.80 years old) and 569 females (24.54 ± 0.70 years old). We used body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) to define overweight levels. Chi-square test, Pearson correlation test, and logistic regression were applied to test association among overweight, sleep duration, sleep onset time, and breakfast regularity. Pittsburgh sleep quality index was used to assess the overall sleep quality of the study subjects. Mediation effect and Sobel test were used to analyze the effect of sleep duration on breakfast regularity and overweight.

Results

Only 34.1% of the population ate breakfast every day, and eating breakfast 1-3 times per week was associated with a higher risk of overweight (BMI: OR = 2.183, 95%CI: 1.369,3,481; WC: OR = 2.101, 95%CI: 1.232,3,583; WHR: OR = 2.108, 95%CI: 1.331,3,337). The effects of all types of Usual Breakfast Consumption Frequency on overweight were fully mediated by sleep duration (p < 0.05). In particular, the subjects exercised outdoors more than five times per week slept longer (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Short sleep duration may be the main reason for irregular breakfast leading to overweight. Adequate outdoor exercise is essential for weight maintenance.

The need to promote sleep health in public health agendas across the globe

Healthy sleep is essential for physical and mental health, and social wellbeing; however, across the globe, and particularly in developing countries, national public health agendas rarely consider sleep health. Sleep should be promoted as an essential pillar of health, equivalent to nutrition and physical activity. To improve sleep health across the globe, a focus on education and awareness, research, and targeted public health policies are needed. We recommend developing sleep health educational programmes and awareness campaigns; increasing, standardising, and centralising data on sleep quantity and quality in every country across the globe; and developing and implementing sleep health policies across sectors of society. Efforts are needed to ensure equity and inclusivity for all people, particularly those who are most socially and economically vulnerable, and historically excluded.

Evaluating the Serum Levels of Beclin-1 and Mammalian/Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) in Three Different Professional Categories

BACKGROUND

The possible associations between occupational factors and autophagy - a catabolic process that is evolutionarily conserved and serves as a vital cornerstone in maintaining cellular balance - remain largely unexplored.

OBJECTIVES

We assessed serum levels of beclin-1, a principal effector of autophagy, and the mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), a protein recognized for its part in suppressing autophagy, within a group of healthy individuals hailing from three different professional fields, each characterized by its unique working conditions.

METHODS

A total of 60 men were recruited from three distinct occupational categories: airline pilots, construction laborers, and fitness trainers. Each group consisted of 20 subjects who were selected during routine occupational health appointments. Serum levels of beclin-1 and mTOR were measured using commercially available immunoassays and compared among the three categories.

RESULTS

Fitness instructors had the highest concentration of beclin-1 (3.1 ± 0.9 ng/mL). Construction workers followed with a mean of 2.4 ± 0.4 ng/mL, while airline pilots had the lowest levels at 1.9 ± 0.5 ng/mL (one-way analysis of variance, P < 0.001). In terms of mTOR levels, construction workers had the highest concentration (5.9 ± 1.9 ng/mL), followed by airline pilots (4.4 ± 1.7 ng/mL). Fitness instructors, on the other hand, had the lowest mTOR levels (3.5 ± 1.2 ng/mL; one-way analysis of variance, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum levels of autophagy biomarkers can vary among healthy individuals based on their professional roles. Considering the crucial function autophagy serves in both health and disease, further investigations are crucial to deepen our comprehension of the potential implications of autophagy in the field of occupational medicine.

Prognostic Implications of Physical Activity on Mortality from Ischaemic Heart Disease: Longitudinal Cohort Study Data

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of physical inactivity has been rising in many countries in recent years, adding to the burden of non-communicable diseases and affecting overall health worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the comprehensive assessment of the prognostic value of physical activity in leisure time on mortality from ischemic heart disease (IHD) by gender separately for those respondents who were diagnosed with IHD and for those who were not diagnosed with IHD in their baseline health survey.

METHODS

In the baseline survey (2006-2008), 7100 men and women ages 45-72 were examined within the framework of the international study Health, Alcohol, and Psychosocial Factors in Eastern Europe (HAPIEE). A total of 6770 participants were available for statistical analysis (after excluding 330 respondents due to missing information on study variables). Physical activity was determined by leisure-time physical activities (hours/week). All participants in the baseline survey were followed up for IHD mortality events until 31 December 2018.

RESULTS

Using multivariate Cox regression analysis, it was found that moderate and higher levels of physical activity significantly reduced the risk of IHD mortality (HR = 0.54, p = 0.016 and HR = 0.60, p = 0.031, respectively) in men who were not diagnosed with IHD at baseline compared with physically inactive subjects. It was found that among men and women who were diagnosed with IHD at baseline, physical activity reduced the risk of mortality from IHD compared with those who were physically inactive (HR = 0.54, p = 0.021 and HR = 0.41, p = 0.025, respectively). Using mediation analysis, it was found that physical activity directly predicted statistically lower IHD mortality (p < 0.05) in men and women.

CONCLUSION

High physical activity was a significant factor that directly predicted statistically lower IHD mortality in men, regardless of whether subjects had IHD at baseline or not. However, only moderate physical activity was a significant factor that directly predicted statistically lower IHD mortality in the women group with IHD at baseline.

Modifiable pathways for longevity: A Mendelian randomization analysis

BACKGROUND

A variety of factors, including diet and lifestyle, obesity, physiology, metabolism, hormone levels, psychology, and inflammation, have been associated with longevity. The specific influences of these factors, however, are poorly understood. Here, possible causal relationships between putative modifiable risk factors and longevity are investigated.

METHODS

A random effects model was used to investigate the association between 25 putative risk factors and longevity. The study population comprised 11,262 long-lived subjects (≥90 years old, including 3484 individuals ≥99 years old) and 25,483 controls (≤60 years old), all of European ancestry. The data were obtained from the UK Biobank database. Genetic variations were used as instruments in two-sample Mendelian randomization to reduce bias. The odds ratios for genetically predicted SD unit increases were calculated for each putative risk factor. Egger regression was used to determine possible violations of the Mendelian randomization model.

RESULTS

Thirteen potential risk factors showed significant associations with longevity (≥90th) after correction for multiple testing. These included smoking initiation (OR:1.606; CI: 1.112-2.319) and educational attainment (OR:2.538, CI: 1.685-3.823) in the diet and lifestyle category, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (OR per SD increase: 0.518; CI: 0.438-0.614 for SBP and 0.620; CI 0.514-0.748 for DBP) and venous thromboembolism (OR:0.002; CI: 0.000-0.047) in the physiology category, obesity (OR: 0.874; CI: 0.796-0.960), BMI (OR per 1-SD increase: 0.691; CI: 0.628-0.760), and body size at age 10 (OR per 1-SD increase:0.728; CI: 0.595-0.890) in the obesity category, type 2 diabetes (T2D) (OR:0.854; CI: 0.816-0.894), LDL cholesterol (OR per 1-SD increase: 0.743; CI: 0.668-0.826), HDL cholesterol (OR per 1-SD increase: 1.243; CI: 1.112-1.390), total cholesterol (TC) (OR per 1-SD increase: 0.786; CI: 0.702-0.881), and triglycerides (TG) (OR per 1-SD increase: 0.865; CI: 0.749-0.998) in the metabolism category. Both longevity (≥90th) and super-longevity (≥99th), smoking initiation, body size at age 10, BMI, obesity, DBP, SBP, T2D, HDL, LDL, and TC were consistently associated with outcomes. The examination of underlying pathways found that BMI indirectly affected longevity through three pathways, namely, SBP, plasma lipids (HDL/TC/LDL), and T2D (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

BMI was found to significantly affect longevity through SBP, plasma lipid (HDL/TC/LDL), and T2D. Future strategies should focus on modifying BMI to improve health and longevity.