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TL;DR
This narrative review proposes that aging is driven by a declining ratio of beneficial to harmful adaptation processes. It suggests interventions like exercise and dietary restriction may counteract aging by increasing this ratio.
Frontiers in Aging · 1 author, 1 centre
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This narrative review proposes that aging is driven by a declining ratio of beneficial to harmful adaptation processes. It suggests interventions like exercise and dietary restriction may counteract aging by increasing this ratio.
This theoretical narrative review introduces the adaptation-maladaptation framework of aging. It posits that aging involves a decrease in the ratio of beneficial adaptation (Ab) to harmful adaptation (Ah). Decreases in Ab are associated with declines in functions like neural plasticity, immune function, and muscle anabolism. Increases in Ah are linked to pathologies like cancer and metabolic dysregulation. The review synthesizes preclinical evidence suggesting that physiological challenges such as exercise, environmental enrichment, and dietary restriction can increase the Ab/Ah ratio by inducing cellular metaplasticity and desensitizing harmful adaptive mechanisms. It also discusses how overexpression of molecules like CREB can enhance beneficial adaptation.