Muscle hormone is an indicator of biological age
Researchers at Aston University (Birmingham, UK), working under the guidance of Dr. James Brown, have uncovered a molecular relationship between irisin – a newly identified hormone released by muscle tissue after exercise – and the aging process.
Irisin is able to reprogram the body's fat cells to expend energy instead of storing it. This increases the metabolic rate and can potentially get rid of obesity, type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders.
The authors found a previously unknown relationship between the level of irisin in the blood and a biological marker of aging – telomere length. Telomeres are small terminal regions of chromosomes that shorten with each cell division. Short telomeres are associated with many age-related diseases, including cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.
44 men and 37 women (81 people in total) aged 18-83 years with a body mass index in the range of 20-30 kg/m2 were involved in the study. None of the participants suffered from obesity, type 2 diabetes or immune diseases, and also had no history of cancer and recent hospitalizations or oral corticosteroid therapy. Women were excluded from pregnancy.
To exclude the effect of physical activity on the irisin content in the blood, all participants were asked to refrain from sports for at least 12 hours before the start of the study. Participants also had to refuse to eat for 8 hours before the start of the study.
The results of the study showed that the highest levels of irisin in the blood correspond to the longest telomeres. This indicates the existence of a molecular relationship between physical activity and healthy aging, in which the level of irisin in the blood is a kind of indicator of "biological age".
It is known that sports have a positive effect on the body, including preventing the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system and contributing to weight loss. According to Dr. Brown, the results of recent studies indicate that physical activity slows down the age-related decline of both physical and mental abilities of a person. The data obtained by the authors will help to understand the mechanisms by which the preservation of physical activity contributes to the preservation of health in old age.
Article by Karan S. Rana et al. Plasma irisin levels predict telomere length in healthy adults http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11357-014-9620-9 published in the AGE magazine.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of Aston University:
Scientists discover hormone released after exercise can ‘predict’ biological age.
21.02.2014