How Smoking Accelerates Aging

Smoking increases the levels of aging-related molecules in the blood stream, thereby accelerating the aging process.

AsianScientist (Oct. 21, 2015) – A research group led by Assistant Professor Kaori Nakanishi, Professor Keiko Takihara of the Health Care Center, Osaka University has found that smoking habits affected the aging-related molecule α-klotho (αKl) in blood serum.

In addition, the researchers also found that smoking causes a rise in blood serum concentration of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-21, a factor related to metabolism which has gained attention in recent years. This work has been published in Scientific Reports.

The average life span of smokers is more than ten years shorter than that of non-smoker, and it is said that smoking is a factor which accelerates aging. However, the details of the mechanism which accelerates aging due to smoking was not yet clear.

The group focused on the relationship between smoking and aging, examining the involvement of Klotho in the advancement of aging due to smoking. It was found that the levels of FGF-21 related to metabolism, α-Klotho, and interleukin(IL)-6, a cytokine related to inflammation, were significantly higher in smokers than in non-smokers. In addition, the blood serum concentration of α-Klotho rose in stressful conditions such as lack and sleep and being under emotional stress outside of smoking.

FGF-21 is negatively-correlated to adiponectin, which is known as a cytokine related to metabolism, and the rise in FGF-21 in smokers is thought to suggest a metabolic disorder.

By contrast, it was shown that in non-smokers, α-Klotho has a positive correlation with IL-6, but this correlation was not found in smokers. Past reports have stated that α-Klotho holds anti-inflammatory effects, so it is thought that the lack of this correlation between α-Klotho and IL-6 in smokers is possible due to the weakening of anti-inflammatory effects of α-Klotho brought about by smoking stress.

It is thought that these research results could serve as a key to clarify the mechanism which accelerates smoking-related aging, and provide new knowledge about aging-related diseases caused by smoking and prevention of smoking-related accelerated aging.

The article can be found at: Nakanishi et al. (2015) Klotho-related Molecules Upregulated by Smoking Habit in Apparently Healthy Men: A Cross-sectional Study.

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Source: Osaka University.
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