The 5 biggest modifiable risk factors that accelerate ageing

Ageing is essentially a time-dependent progressive decline in our body’s biochemical and physiological functions. It is a universal phenomenon that cannot be reversed, although many top scientists believe age-reversal may be possible in the not too distant future. So while today we can’t easily reverse age, studies have shown that the speed at which we age physiologically is modifiable. Recently some of the world’s top scientist and clinicians in the field of ageing formed an interdisciplinary panel to develop a scientific consensus statement from all research evidence to date and identified the known risk factors that accelerate ageing. Their findings were recently published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Experimental Gerontology.

Following a rigorous process to reach census, overall, the experts identified 13 factors that predispose a person to accelerated, or premature ageing. These included demographic/ clinical characteristics (chronic diseases, obesity, unfavourable genetic background, insulin resistance and low physical capacity) as well as environmental/behavioural factors including smoking sedentary lifestyle, low physical activity, persistent physical or psychological stress, low socioeconomic status, alcohol abuse, inadequate nutrition and air pollution).  

With regards to modifiable risk factors that accelerate ageing, the top 5 agreed by experts were: 

1. A sedentary lifestyle
2. Alcohol abuse
3. Obesity
4. Inadequate nutrition
5. Persistent psychological stress

The expert panel also reported that the top clinical indicators of underlying accelerated cellular ageing are:

1. Fatigue
2. Low quality sleep
3. Low mood
4. Lack of motivation
5. Subjective memory complaints
6. Poor exercise tolerance

Our take at Strive Stronger 

Ageing is a highly complex biological process that scientists and clinicians are just beginning to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms. One of the complexities for scientists is the apparent bidirectional relationship between time (i.e. ageing) and disease onset and the relationship between disease onset and accelerated ageing. Therefore, it is not surprising to find that many chronic diseases are major risk factors for accelerated ageing. Likewise, the 5 modifiable risk factors for accelerate ageing are also risk factors for early onset of chronic disease. In our experience at StriveStonger, these 5 modifiable risk factors (sedentary lifestyle, alcohol abuse, obesity, inadequate nutrition and persistent psychological stress) are also some of the strongest predictors of underperformance and burnout.

Do you find yourself regularly experiencing low mood and motivation, lack of energy and fatigue, sleep problems, memory problems or have poor exercise tolerance (all indicators of accelerating ageing? If so, the expert consensus statement featured in this blog would suggest that you should focus on ensuring you get adequate daily movement in your life, focus on quality nutrition (not too much, not too little), minimise alcohol intake (national guidelines suggest < 10 units weekly), and to combat the ageing effects of psychological stress, make recovery a priority.

Reference:

Cesari, M, Cherubini, A. Guralnik, JM, Beresniak, A, Rodriguez-Mañas, L, Inzitari, M,  Walston, J. Early detection of accelerated ageing and cellular decline (AACD): A consensus statement. Experimental Gerontology, 146, 2021,111242,

Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2021.111242