Research Shows Life’s Essential 8 Can Reverse Epigenetic Aging

A recent study by the American Heart Association highlights that adopting Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) habits can significantly slow biological aging [1].

This framework, designed to improve cardiovascular health, includes eight key factors: eating healthy, maintaining physical activity, avoiding tobacco, ensuring adequate sleep, managing weight, controlling cholesterol, managing blood sugar and regulating blood pressure.

Researchers analyzed data from adults participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). They used phenotypic age, which assesses biological age based on various biomarkers, to measure the impact of these habits on aging.

They found that those with higher adherence to LE8 had a biological age up to six years younger than their actual age. This deceleration in biological aging was dose-dependent, meaning the more closely participants followed these habits, the more significant the effect [2].

Key components of the LE8 include [3]:

Healthy diet: Emphasizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
Physical activity: At least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week.
Avoiding tobacco: Eliminating all forms of nicotine consumption.
Healthy sleep: Getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
Weight management: Maintaining a healthy body weight.
Cholesterol control: Keeping cholesterol levels within recommended ranges.
Blood sugar management: Monitoring and maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
Blood pressure control: Keeping blood pressure under 120/80 mmHg.