Klotho Levels Decline with Age, But Are Unaffected by Physical Fitness at a Given Age

Klotho is a longevity-associated gene. Klotho functions within the cell, but a portion of the full protein is also released into the bloodstream. In humans, higher levels of circulating klotho correlate with lower incidence of age-related disease and mortality. In mice, interventions such as gene therapies that increase klotho levels have been shown to extend life, while reducing klotho levels shortens life. Klotho is thought to act within the kidney, where it is protective, slowing age-related decline of kidney function. Increased klotho levels produce cognitive improvement in mice and non-human primates, however, and higher levels in humans are associated with lesser degrees of cognitive decline in later life. This may be the case because kidney function is important to all organs, or it may be that klotho acts directly on the brain in some way yet to be rigorously determined. Some groups are pursuing delivery of klotho as a basis for therapies. You might recall a recent discussion of circulating klotho protein in the bloodstream as a biomarker of the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions to modestly slow aging. Today's open access paper provides a counterpoint, in that it shows that while klotho levels and physical capabilities both decline with age, the degree of physical fitness at a given age doesn't appear to correlate with klotho levels. So, per these results, increasing one's physical fitness in later life wouldn't be expected to raise klotho levels. This ...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs