Relationship between physical activity and circulating fibroblast growth factor 21 in middle-aged and older adults

Masahiro Matsui; Keisei Kosaki; Koichiro Tanahashi; Nobuhiko Akazawa; Yosuke Osuka; Kiyoji Tanaka; Makoto Kuro-O; Seiji Maeda

doi:10.1016/j.exger.2020.111081

Relationship between physical activity and circulating fibroblast growth factor 21 in middle-aged and older adults

Exp Gerontol. 2020 Nov:141:111081. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2020.111081. Epub 2020 Sep 7.

Authors

Masahiro Matsui¹, Keisei Kosaki², Koichiro Tanahashi³, Nobuhiko Akazawa⁴, Yosuke Osuka⁵, Kiyoji Tanaka⁶, Makoto Kuro-O⁷, Seiji Maeda⁸

Affiliations

¹ Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan.
² Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan; Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan; Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
³ Division of Liberal Arts Sciences, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Kyoto, Japan.
⁴ Department of Sports Research, Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, Tokyo, Japan.
⁵ Research Team for Promoting Independence and Mental Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.
⁶ Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
⁷ Division of Anti-aging Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.
⁸ Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. Electronic address: maeda.seiji.gn@u.tsukuba.ac.jp.

PMID: 32911033
DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2020.111081

Abstract

Objective: Circulating levels of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) increase with advancing age and may lead to the development of cardiometabolic diseases via impaired lipid and glucose metabolism. While physical activity can reduce these risks of cardiometabolic dysfunction, it remains obscure whether circulation FGF21 levels are influenced by physical activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relations between daily physical activities and circulating FGF21 levels in middle-aged and older adults.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study with 110 middle-aged and 102 older adults, circulating (serum) FGF21 levels were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the time spent in light-intensity physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) was assessed using a uniaxial accelerometer.

Results: Serum FGF21 levels in the older group (158 pg/mL) were significantly higher than those in the middle-aged group (117 pg/mL). When we examined the joint association of age (middle-aged or older) and MVPA (lower or higher than the median) groups, serum FGF21 levels in the older and higher MVPA group (116 pg/mL) were significantly lower than those in the older and lower MVPA group (176 pg/mL). However, there was no difference in serum FGF21 levels between the lower and higher MVPA groups in the middle-aged group. In multivariable liner regression analysis, serum FGF21 levels were independently determined by MVPA time after adjusting for potential covariates in older adults (β = -0.209).

Conclusions: These cross-sectional study findings indicate that the time spent in MVPA is an independent determinant of circulating FGF21 levels, and that an age-related increase in serum FGF21 levels may be attenuated by habitually performing MVPA. (250/250 words).

Keywords: Accelerometer; Activity intensity; Aging; FGF21; Physical activity.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cross-Sectional Studies
Exercise*
Fibroblast Growth Factors*
Humans

Substances

fibroblast growth factor 21
Fibroblast Growth Factors