Walking and biologic ageing: Evidence based on NHANES telomere data

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Public Health
• Molecular Biology and Genetics

Background:

• Telomere length serves as a biomarker for biological aging.
• Understanding lifestyle factors associated with telomere length is crucial for aging research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between weekly walking minutes and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in U.S. adults.
• To determine if meeting recommended physical activity levels impacts biological aging markers.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of 5,823 U.S. adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
• Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
• Weekly walking minutes calculated from self-reported frequency and duration.

Main Results:

• Telomere length decreased by 15.6 base pairs per year of chronological age (P < 0.0001).
• A quadratic relationship was observed between walking minutes and LTL (F = 11.2, P = 0.0023).
• Adults walking ≥ 150 minutes/week had significantly longer telomeres compared to non-walkers (F = 5.0, P = 0.0137).

Conclusions:

• Meeting the 150 minutes/week walking recommendation is associated with longer telomeres, suggesting a biological aging advantage.
• Regular walking may confer a 6.5-7.6 year reduction in biological aging compared to sedentary individuals.
• Further research is needed to establish causality and elucidate the mechanisms linking walking and telomere length.