Does exercise help prevent age-related issues?

A recent animal study from researchers in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City investigated the role of DNA damage in blood vessels and the ageing cardiovascular system.

The findings will be presented at The American Physiology Summit — the annual meeting of the American Physiological Society.

Our risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular problems increases as we age. Commonly, this is due to atherosclerosis — a build-up of fatty substances on the lining of blood vessels.As these plaques grow, they narrow the vessels, increasing the risk of cardiovascular events like heart attacks or strokes. Previous research has shown that exercise can significantly reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. Even exercise during older age can slow plaque buildup and improve cardiovascular outcomes.

In the study, researchers observed 15 male mice for 4 weeks in a cage with a running wheel. They assigned them to three categories based on how far they ran each day:high-running, moderate-running and low-running.At the end of the study, the scientists collected tissue from the animals’ aortas — the blood vessel that carries blood from the heart. They looked at different sections of the aorta, which are exposed to varying levels of shear stress.In particular, they focused on two types of cells:endothelial cells, which line the inside of blood vessels, vascular smooth muscle cells, which sit within blood vessel walls. Further, they evaluated the cells’ DNA damage and assessed how well their telomeres functioned.

The analysis showed that increased physical activity was associated with less DNA damage and better telomere function in endothelial cells but not vascular smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, this study added to the growing evidence that exercise may benefit health by defending against DNA damage and protecting telomere function.

“By revealing the varied responses of aortic regions experiencing different blood flow patterns and cell types to aerobic exercise,this research provides a firm ground on a detailed and customized approach to interventions for cardiovascular health,” said Jisok Lim, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Utah and lead author of the study.

Reference:Late-life aerobic exercise reverses DNA and telomere dysfunction in non-atheroprone aortic regions with advanced age; Annual Meeting: The American Physiology Summit