人們都知道健康飲食,、適量運(yùn)動(dòng)對(duì)身體有好處。一項(xiàng)最新研究從細(xì)胞老化角度進(jìn)一步證實(shí),，保持良好的生活方式,，的確能延緩衰老。
據(jù)介紹,，人體細(xì)胞內(nèi)的染色體上有稱作端粒的結(jié)構(gòu),，它好比鞋帶兩頭防止磨損的“保護(hù)帽”。人出生時(shí),，染色體端粒都有一定長(zhǎng)度,。隨著細(xì)胞不斷分裂和老化，端粒會(huì)慢慢變短,。因此,，端粒長(zhǎng)度被用作判斷衰老程度的重要標(biāo)志。
英國(guó)新一期《柳葉刀—腫瘤》雜志刊登美國(guó)研究人員的論文說(shuō),，一項(xiàng)有35名前列腺癌患者參加的長(zhǎng)期跟蹤研究,，在5年的時(shí)間里，其中一組志愿者按要求完成飲食,、運(yùn)動(dòng),、壓力調(diào)節(jié)等全方位的積極改變,，另一組作為對(duì)照。結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn),，積極作出改變的一組人的端粒長(zhǎng)度平均延長(zhǎng)了約10％，而對(duì)照組則平均縮短了約3％,。
研究人員介紹說(shuō),，這項(xiàng)研究提到的積極生活方式包括：多吃富含果蔬、豆類和谷物的食品,，減少碳水化合物和油脂攝入,；堅(jiān)持中等強(qiáng)度的有氧運(yùn)動(dòng)，如每天散步半小時(shí),；練習(xí)瑜伽或進(jìn)行呼吸訓(xùn)練,、冥想等舒緩壓力的活動(dòng)；定期參加心理醫(yī)生組織的團(tuán)體性“社會(huì)支持”活動(dòng)等,。
領(lǐng)導(dǎo)這項(xiàng)研究的加利福尼亞大學(xué)舊金山分校教授迪恩·奧尼什說(shuō),，雖然這項(xiàng)研究的對(duì)象是前列腺癌患者，研究結(jié)果應(yīng)該同樣可推及健康男性和女性,，即保持健康生活方式可延緩端?？s短進(jìn)程。研究人員下一步將開(kāi)展大規(guī)模隨機(jī)對(duì)照研究,，進(jìn)一步確認(rèn)這一效果,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦的英文摘要
The Lancet Oncology doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(13)70366-8
Effect of comprehensive lifestyle changes on telomerase activity and telomere length in men with biopsy-proven low-risk prostate cancer： 5-year follow-up of a descriptive pilot study
Prof Dean Ornish MD a h ， Jue Lin PhD b,， Prof June M Chan PhD e f,， Elissa Epel PhD c， Colleen Kemp RN h,， Prof Gerdi Weidner PhD g,， Ruth Marlin MD h， Steven J Frenda MA h,， Mark Jesus M Magbanua PhD e,， Jennifer Daubenmier PhD a， Ivette Estay PhD h,， Nancy K Hills PhD f,， Nita Chainani-Wu DMD d， Prof Peter R Carroll MD e,， Prof Elizabeth H Blackburn PhD b
Background
Telomere shortness in human beings is a prognostic marker of ageing,， disease， and premature morbidity. We previously found an association between 3 months of comprehensive lifestyle changes and increased telomerase activity in human immune-system cells. We followed up participants to investigate long-term effects.
Methods
This follow-up study compared ten men and 25 external controls who had biopsy-proven low-risk prostate cancer and had chosen to undergo active surveillance. Eligible participants were enrolled between 2003 and 2007 from previous studies and selected according to the same criteria. Men in the intervention group followed a programme of comprehensive lifestyle changes (diet,， activity,， stress management,， and social support)， and the men in the control group underwent active surveillance alone. We took blood samples at 5 years and compared relative telomere length and telomerase enzymatic activity per viable cell with those at baseline,， and assessed their relation to the degree of lifestyle changes.
Findings
Relative telomere length increased from baseline by a median of 0·06 telomere to single-copy gene ratio (T/S)units (IQR—0·05 to 0·11) in the lifestyle intervention group,， but decreased in the control group (0·03 T/S units， 0·05 to 0·03,， difference p=0·03). When data from the two groups were combined,， adherence to lifestyle changes was significantly associated with relative telomere length after adjustment for age and the length of follow-up (for each percentage point increase in lifestyle adherence score， T/S units increased by 0·07,， 95% CI 0·02—0·12,， p=0·005). At 5 years， telomerase activity had decreased from baseline by 0·25 (—2·25 to 2·23) units in the lifestyle intervention group,， and by 1·08 (—3·25 to 1·86) units in the control group (p=0·64),， and was not associated with adherence to lifestyle changes (relative risk 0·93， 95% CI 0·72—1·20,， p=0·57).
Interpretation
Our comprehensive lifestyle intervention was associated with increases in relative telomere length after 5 years of follow-up,， compared with controls， in this small pilot study. Larger randomised controlled trials are warranted to confirm this finding.
Funding
US Department of Defense,， NIH/NCI,， Furlotti Family Foundation， Bahna Foundation,， DeJoria Foundation,， Walton Family Foundation， Resnick Foundation,， Greenbaum Foundation,， Natwin Foundation， Safeway Foundation,， Prostate Cancer Foundation.
