Do you occasionally feel older than your age? There might be a reason for that. A recent study by Northwestern University found our hearts can be “older” than our chronological ages, with some populations exhibiting a difference of more than 10 years between their biological and chronological ages. As we age, we become increasingly prone to aging-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), which has remained the leading cause of death in the United States for 100 years and accounts for roughly one out of every three deaths (with approximately 80 percent of these being preventable). In other words, someone who is 40 years old chronologically could have a heart with the biomarkers and function of a 50-year-old. The big concern: Even though by chronological standards a 40-year-old has a low risk of developing CVD, by biological standards, that same person might have a much higher risk.
So, how can Americans reduce our risk of dying from CVD? Some have suggested that new policy or regulatory measures, such as improved diet-based medical education, increased value-based care model utilization, and dental, medical, and mental care bundling, could drive down the population’s associated risk of death. But the answer to our question can be much simpler. Rather than creating new policies or regulations, let’s discuss a few steps that slow biological aging to help reduce the risk of developing and dying from CVD.
Walk Faster: Research from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom found that 40 minutes of moderate walking per week can noticeably improve your biological age markers. The study also identified walking pace, rather than time spent walking, as the most important factor for biological health. Combined, these findings show brisk walking can reduce your biological age markers by 16 years by age 50. In short, no matter how busy you might be, anyone can considerably improve their biological age by marginally increasing their daily walking pace.
Drink Less: Research published in Nature from Oxford Population Health found that regular alcohol consumption had a direct effect on a participant’s biological age. The research found that consistently drinking at least 10 standard drinks per week increased biological age by two to three years. Notably, the study also suggested that three standard drinks per week was all that was necessary to initiate the increased biological aging effect. On the other hand, if you contain your drinking to two drinks per week, you can consume alcohol without accelerating your biological age.
Stop Smoking: According to a report published in Tobacco Induced Diseases, habitual smoking also significantly increases your biological age and body fat composition. This study found that regular moderate smoking increases your biological age by a minimum of two years. It showed that no amount of smoking, no matter how moderate, can be performed without experiencing increased biological aging.
Our hearts and bodies may be aging differently from our chronological age and contributing to the high levels of CVD-related deaths, but that doesn’t mean we can’t improve this outlook. On the contrary, we can reach a nearly 80-percent reduction in CVD deaths (roughly 750,000 deaths by 2024 numbers) by quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, and walking briskly – no additional policy work required.