Healthy lifestyle and glucagon-like peptide-1 in young and healthy adults: A population-based study

A healthy lifestyle is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events and mortality, but underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationships between a healthy lifestyle and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), an incretin hormone with both glycemic and cardiovascular properties. Healthy participants aged 25-41years without cardiovascular disease, diabetes or a body mass index (BMI) >35kg/m² were enrolled in a population-based study. The following metrics were used to build a lifestyle score ranging from 0 to 7 (a higher score indicating a healthier lifestyle): blood pressure (BP) (<120/80mmHg), plasma levels of glycated hemoglobin (<5.7%), total cholesterol levels (<200mg/dl), BMI (<25kg/m²), not smoking cigarettes, moderate (≥150min/week) or vigorous (≥75min/week) physical activity and a healthy diet. Among 2133 participants median age was 36.7years and 53.3% were female. GLP-1 levels decreased significantly from 39.5 to 30.9ng/l (p<0.0001) across increasing lifestyle score categories. This linear relationship persisted in multivariable adjusted linear regression models (B for GLP-1 per 1-unit increase of the lifestyle score -0.06; 95% confidence intervals -0.07, -0.04; p<0.0001). Individual health metrics that were significantly associated with GLP-1 were a normal BMI (-0.07; -0.12, -0.03; p=0.001), low total cholesterol levels (-0.07; -0.12, -0.03; p=0.001), normal BP (-0.05; -0.10, -0.00; p=0.047) and not smoking (-0.06; -0.10, -0.01; p=0.01). A healthy lifestyle is strongly associated with lower GLP-1 levels in young and healthy adults.