Metabolic diseases and healthy aging: identifying environmental and behavioral risk factors and promoting public health

Abstract

Aging is a progressive and irreversible pathophysiological process that manifests as the decline in tissue and cellular functions, along with a significant increase in the risk of various aging-related diseases, including metabolic diseases. While advances in modern medicine have significantly promoted human health and extended human lifespan, metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes among the older adults pose a major challenge to global public health as societies age. Therefore, understanding the complex interaction between risk factors and metabolic diseases is crucial for promoting well-being and healthy aging. This review article explores the environmental and behavioral risk factors associated with metabolic diseases and their impact on healthy aging. The environment, including an obesogenic environment and exposure to environmental toxins, is strongly correlated with the rising prevalence of obesity and its comorbidities. Behavioral factors, such as diet, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and sleep patterns, significantly influence the risk of metabolic diseases throughout aging. Public health interventions targeting modifiable risk factors can effectively promote healthier lifestyles and prevent metabolic diseases. Collaboration between government agencies, healthcare providers and community organizations is essential for implementing these interventions and creating supportive environments that foster healthy aging.

Expanding our thought horizons in systems biology and medicine

“…There are many examples of the bidirectional interaction of biology with cognitive and behavioral factors: inflammation with stress and depression (Felger, 2018;Vodovotz et al, 2024), sex hormones with appetite and mood (Gorczyca et al, 2016), chronic stress with abdominal fat deposition (Delker et al, 2021), and many more. Furthermore, it is widely recognized that lifestyle behaviors such as diet, physical activity, and sleep have a significant impact on physiology, health, and aging (Vodovotz et al, 2020;Zhang et al, 2023). In some cases, genetic factors play a role in determining one's response to lifestyle change and may be an unrecognized cause for variability in outcomes (Zubair et al, 2019).…”

Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Updated Review

“…Importantly, the burden of T2DM comes not only by its alarming globally increasing incidence, including in younger people and low-income countries (affecting from 6% to 22% of the entire population at different age segments) but, also, by the associated morbidity and mortality; for instance, it occupies the ninth place among the most frequent causes of death and the seventh place among the conditions with the most impactful quality of life in terms of DALYs (disability-adjusted life year), equally affecting females and males, with the costs per capita of diabetic care being three to nine times (in cases of multiple complications, including bone fragility) higher than the mean healthcare expenditure per capita in non-diabetic populations [27][28][29].…”

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Genes Involved in Neurodegeneration and Cancer

“…Disruptions in cellular mechanisms, such as impaired DNA repair or protein misfolding, constitute commonalities between cancer and neurodegeneration [15,45]. Additionally, lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and exposure to environmental toxins influence the risk of both conditions, highlighting the multifaceted nature of shared risk factors [46]. Understanding these commonalities offers prospects for targeted strategies and potentially intersecting therapies for these seemingly distinct diseases [1].…”