Along with slowing down biological aging, adhering to the Essential 5can improve overall health in many ways.
Dr. John Higgins, a cardiologist with UTHealth Houston, not involved in the study, explained that improving your endothelial (vascular) function affects multiple organ systems in a positive way:
Reduces your risk factors:
1.Better blood pressure
2.Better cholesterol
3.Better blood sugar
4.Less smoking
5.Improves organ function:
“Eating a heart-healthy diet, exercising, getting good sleep, and not smoking can lead to a reduction in blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. All of these things will lead to reduced weight, which allows people to be more active,” said Oen-Hsiao.
“Keeping an active lifestyle is not only good for the heart, but also the bones/joints. People will have fewer joint issues/muscle aches if they are active consistently daily. Weight loss will take the strain off the joints as well, which will allow for even more activity,” Dr. Oen-Hsiao added.
Lastly, maintaining an exercise routine (you can start at any age) and staying active will help with mood (people who exercise regularly have less depression) and improve the mind (there is less risk of dementia with controlled blood pressure and regular exercise).
