Slow Age: Interventions to Slow Aging in Humans

Summary

The proportion of older individuals is growing, and it is therefore important to investigate ways to promote healthy aging. Exercise is one of the most studied interventions and is known to have a variety of health benefits. Dietary interventions have also shown encouraging results, with intermittent fasting being a promising anti-aging intervention. Likewise, dietary supplementation with precursors that can increase the central metabolite nicotinamide dinucleotide (NAD+) has powerful effects on aging at least in model organisms. Although physical exercise is known to increase health-span, the effects of these latter dietary interventions on aging lacks evidence in humans.

This is a randomized, controlled trial of interventions to slow aging in humans. Healthy older individuals will be randomized into either an aerobic exercise (EXE), time-restricted feeding (TRF), nicotinamide riboside (NR), or control group and followed for twelve weeks. Changes in biomarkers of aging will be assessed before and after the intervention. It is hypothesized that the interventions provide similar, superior benefits to these markers when compared to placebo.

Primary Outcome: Interleukin-6 levels. Secondary Outcomes: CRP, TNF-α, NAD+, hematologic age, epigenetic age (DNA methylation), transcriptomic age (RNA-sequencing), functional age (handgrip strength, gait speed), body composition, vocal age, and photo age

Conditions

• Aging

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Exercise

Participants randomized to the EXE group will perform aerobic exercise five days per week, totaling 150-300 min/week, at moderate to vigorous intensities i.e., \~60-90% heart rate (HR) max. Participants randomized to the EXE group will perform aerobic exercise five days per week, totaling 150-300 min/week, at moderate to vigorous intensities i.e., \~60-90% heart rate (HR) max. Exercise intensity and duration will gradually increase up until week 3 to habituate the participants to the exercise. The training modality will change to reduce the risk of injuries and may be impacted by individual preferences to increase adherence. The training can be performed individually or in groups of 4-6 participants, depending on the geographical locations of the participants home address, and on the current recruitment rate.

BEHAVIORAL

Time restricted feeding

Participants randomized to the time restricted feeding group will be instructed to abstain from any caloric intake during the targeted fasting window of 16 continuous hours and consume ad libitum during the eating window of 8 hours.

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Nicotinamide riboside

Participants randomized to the NR group will be instructed to take the administered tablets once in the morning (1 g) and once in the evening (1 g), in both cases with a meal.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Elysium Health

  collaborator INDUSTRY

• University of Copenhagen

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-05-01

Primary Completion

2022-12-21

Completion

2022-12-21

Countries

• Denmark

Study Locations