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UK Biobank activity data aids app technology to help smokers quit

UK Biobank activity data aids app technology to help smokers quit

Smoking is one of the major life-shortening factors that leads to accelerated aging and premature death. Quitting smoking increases lifespan and decreases biological age, as measured by DNA methylation.

However, many smokers find it hard to quit. A new study published by scientists from Gero and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and using UK Biobank activity monitor data, offers a way to track the rejuvenating effect of smoking cessation in real time through the analysis of wearable data.

According to the article ‘Quantitative characterization of biological age and frailty based on locomotor activity records’ published on Aging journal cover, the bioage acceleration caused by smoking can be detected through the analysis of physical activity signals collected from wearable devices.

From this a new AI algorithm, trained to find certain patterns in changes of activity level to estimate the biological age of a person, has been developed.

The study demonstrates that the smoking-induced aging acceleration reverts back to normal after smoking cessation.

"A biomarker of age derived from physical activity is a cheap and convenient way to track how biological age reverts back to normal after quitting. Inspired by these findings, we created a free mobile app, Gero Healthspan , that offers real-time monitoring of bioage changes in response to lifestyle interventions. You can use it to explore how lifestyle changes such as diets, activities and supplements affect your predicted healthy life expectancy. We hope that our research and our research-based app will help people to stop deliberately shortening their lives and help to develop healthy lifestyles."

Peter Fedichev, founder and Chief Science Officer of Gero

The scientists applied machine learning tools to analyze 107,662 health profiles made available by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the UK Biobank.

These large databases contain activity records provided by wearable devices as well as health and lifestyle information, combined with death records up to nine years following the activity monitoring.

Notably, the smoking effects on biological age could only be reverted before the first serious age-related disease manifestation. The authors of the article encourage everyone to quit smoking right away and hope that following the health improvement progress with the help of free research-based Gero Healthspan app will stimulate and support cessation process.