Lifestyle intervention from childhood to adolescence affects metabolism even years later, study finds

A new study from the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) reveals that early lifestyle changes can have lasting effects. Intervention in diet and physical activity during childhood and adolescence has been shown to profoundly influence metabolism, even years later.

The Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) study is the first lifestyle intervention study using advanced liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics technology to analyze the molecular mechanisms underlying the health effects of lifestyle changes from childhood to adolescence.

By analyzing blood samples, the researchers were able to identify changes in 80 metabolites. “These were metabolites that are linked to critical processes for the development of cardiometabolic diseases, such as lipid metabolism, inflammation, and gut health,” explains postdoctoral researcher Iman Zarei. The study is published in iScience.

These results are particularly important because 17 of these metabolites remained altered even after eight years, even though the most intensive part of the lifestyle intervention lasted only the first two years. This suggests that early intervention could have not only immediate, but also longer-term effects on health.

The most notable changes were in fatty amides, molecules involved in various physiological functions such as inflammation, weight control, feeding behavior, sleep induction, pain and anxiety control, angiogenesis, arterial dilation, and neuroprotection. Such changes may be linked to a lower risk of several chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“Our study provides compelling evidence that early and sustained lifestyle changes can have a profound impact on a child’s health trajectory,” says Professor Timo Lakka, the study’s lead researcher. He highlights the importance of adopting healthy habits from an early age, noting that these changes could prevent the onset of chronic diseases that often begin to develop during childhood or even the fetal period.

This study is one of the first to demonstrate how beneficial changes in diet and physical activity during childhood can affect the body’s metabolism even in the long term.

The PANIC study is part of the UEF Metabolic Diseases Research Community and is dedicated to the study of major cardiometabolic diseases. Drawing on genetics, genomics, translational research and lifestyle interventions, the community aims to provide robust evidence on disease mechanisms and advance early diagnosis, prevention and personalized treatment. The research community consists of 20 research groups, ranging from basic research to patient care.