Metabolism, Nutrition, and Aging
Metabolism, Nutrition, and Longevity: Finding the Keys
Bettina Mittendorfer, Ph.D.
Director of the Longer Life Foundation’s
Longevity Research Program (LRP)
In 2019, Bettina Mittendorfer, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Science, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, was named Director of the Longer Life Foundation’s Longevity Research Program (LRP). Here, she discusses how her strong interest in human longevity will inform LRP’s research directions in the coming years.
Q:
Your research focuses on metabolism, nutrition, and aging. How did you get interested in these topics, and what do you hope your research will accomplish over the long term?
A:
When I was an undergraduate at the University of Vienna, I had the opportunity to spend some time at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston. There I met Dr. Robert Wolfe, who pioneered the use of stable isotope-labeled tracers for studying metabolism in vivo. I was immediately hooked and decided to pursue my Ph.D. in his lab. My research focused on understanding the mechanisms responsible for age-associated muscle loss and sarcopenia. I then came toWashington University in St. Louis for my post-doc with Dr. Samuel Klein, an expert in obesity research and director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Washington University.
Metabolism, nutrition, obesity and aging have naturally morphed together in my research, which focuses on improving humanlongevity. Integrating metabolic tracers, clinical imaging, cardio and physical function testing, and analysis of tissue biopsies has provided me with a better understanding of the pathophysiology of obesity-associated alterations in cardiometabolic function. It has also given me a better understanding of age-associated declines in metabolic and muscle health and physical function, which are major predictors of premature mortality. Ultimately, deep metabolic phenotyping combined with functional outcome measures is necessary to develop appropriate prevention and treatment strategies for age- and obesity-associated declines in health and premature mortality.
Ultimately, deep metabolic phenotyping combined with functional outcome measures is necessary to develop appropriate prevention and treatment strategies for age- and obesity-associated declines in health and premature mortality.
Q:
How do you ultimately see the global obesity epidemic evolving? Could it someday be treated pharmaceutically, or do you think the root causes of poor diet, lack of exercise, and stress need to be managed more effectively?
A:
In my opinion, the primary focus needs to be on obesity prevention, meaning lifestyle modification (including diet, physical activity, and sleep) and stress reduction, both for individuals and via targeted public health efforts.Understanding how lifestyle factors affect physiological functions and the barriers to adopting proven beneficial strategies through targeted research will be key to implementing evidence-based best practices and developing effective treatment strategies.
Pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals will certainly play important roles. Ultimately, success will depend on finding an optimal balance of approaches and will likely require a shift in social norms.
Q:
We know the rate of mortality improvement has slowed over the last several years, mostly but not exclusively due to slowing mortality improvement from cardiovascular disease. Do you think obesity, diabetes, and other CV risk factors play a role?
A:
The changes in mortality from cardiovascular diseases over the past decades include the rapid decline that coincided with the reduction in smoking, the introduction of statins, and focused blood pressure control efforts. These demonstrate the tremendous impact prevention and intervention strategies can have on CV disease prevalence and mortality. The high prevalence of obesity and its associated CV risk factors, including a sedentary lifestyle, are mostlikely responsible for much of the remaining CV disease risk and mortality.
Q:
As the new director of the Longer Life Foundation’s Longevity Research Program, what do you see the program accomplishing in the next three to five years?
A:
The Longevity Research Program aims to stimulate and advance research to identify factors that assist in predicting mortality and morbidity and to improve people’s health and longevity. My hope is that the program will serve as anincubator of ideas by stimulating new collaborations and providing cost-effective opportunities for multidisciplinaryresearch to test novel hypotheses and train young investigators.
An example is our proposed project that will evaluate the effect of dietary protein intake on cardiovascular health(e.g., endothelial function) in people at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. This project will involve a new translational collaboration among several clinical and basic science investigators. It will leverage the resources of a recently initiated NIH-funded randomized clinical trial that will evaluate the effect of high protein intake from animal and plant sources on key metabolic functions, including insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function, involved in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.
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