What Affects Longevity More — Genes or Exercise?
Previous studies have demonstrated that a lower level of physical activity and more sitting time is linked to a higher risk of death. Does risk vary if a person has a genetic propensity for longevity? In a study that was published in the online version of the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity on August 24, 2022, researchers at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at the University of California, San Diego, set out to provide an answer to that issue.
According to lead author Alexander Posis, M.P.H., a fourth-year doctoral student in the San Diego State University/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, “the goal of this research was to understand whether associations between physical activity and sedentary time with death varied based on different levels of the genetic predisposition for longevity.” In order to estimate mortality, researchers started tracking the physical activity of 5,446 American women aged 63 and older in 2012 as part of the Women’s Health Initiative Objective Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health project (OPACH). For up to seven days, participants wore a research-grade accelerometer to track their movement patterns, level of physical activity, and amount of inactive time.
Excerpted from Devdiscourse
