Fitness, nutrition and the molecular basis of chronic disease

The onset of chronic disease is often the prelude to the subsequent physiological and mental twilight in the aging population of modern society. While rates of obesity, specific types of cancer and cardiovascular disorders seem to be on the rise in this group, many new therapies have addressed diseases that have been largely untreatable in the past. Alzheimer's disease has also recently come to the forefront of ongoing maladies most typically associated with an aging population. Ironically, though, many people seem to be living longer than expected. Recent biochemical, nutritional and genomic approaches have been able to elucidate some of the complex mechanisms, which lead to chronic diseases associated with an aging population such as Alzheimer's, metabolic syndrome, tumor metastasis and cardiovascular disease. These diseases and their sequalae seem to be related in many respects, with the common culprit being the inflammatory environment created by the presence of excess fat - particularly within the vascular network. Although a substantial effort has been focused on the development of new-line therapeutics to address these issues, nutrition and overall fitness and their effects on stalling or potentially reversing the advent of these diseases has not been fully embraced in the research arena. This review discusses the role of the inflammatory environment in the development of chronic diseases in the aging population and also proposes a common pathology. The benefits that improvements and dedication in nutrition and fitness approaches may offer at the molecular level are also discussed.