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PPARD

How A Fat Metabolism Gene Affects Longevity (PPARD)

Written by Mathew Eng, PharmD on February 5th, 2020

The PPARD gene helps regulate many systems in the body, including fat metabolism, insulin production, and inflammation. According to research, certain variants in PPARD may also be linked to longer lifespans. Find out how this gene works and how it affects longevity.

What Is The PPARD Gene?

The PPARD gene is responsible for encoding a protein called PPAR-δ (also sometimes known as PPAR-β or NR1C2) [R].

The PPAR-δ protein is involved in several processes in the body, some of which include [R, R]:

Metabolism of fat
Controlling inflammation
Regulating insulin activity

Research suggests that certain genetic variants of PPARD may be associated with various health conditions, such as high cholesterol, obesity, and high blood pressure [R, R, R].

Interestingly enough, there is also some evidence that certain variants of PPARD may even be linked to longer lifespans [R, R].

The PPAR-δ Protein

The PPAR-δ protein is created with help from the PPARD gene. This protein can be found throughout the body, including the muscles, lungs, brain, and skin [R, R].

As mentioned earlier, PPAR-δ has various functions in the body, such as metabolizing fatty acids, suppressing inflammatory compounds, and regulating insulin production [R, R].

PPAR-δ primarily works by regulating the expression of other genes. Here’s an example of how it helps metabolize fat [R]:

Fatty acid molecules (the basic form of fat) attach to PPAR-δ
Once bounded, PPAR-δ promotes the expression of genes involved in fat metabolism
These newly activated genes produce proteins that play a role in fat transport, fat breakdown, and the conversion of fat to energy

PPAR-δ exerts its other effects through a similar process. Many different molecules can bind to PPAR-δ and it is able to target several different genes, leading to a number of distinct effects [R].

How Does PPARD Affect Lifespan

So far, we’ve discussed how the PPARD gene plays several roles in the body, including fat metabolism, inflammation control, and insulin production.

But how exactly does PPARD affect lifespan? The answer is complex and not yet fully understood.

According to some researchers, PPARD may be able to improve longevity by counteracting some of the processes seen in aging [R].

For example, as humans age, the body naturally shifts from using fats as the preferred energy source to using carbohydrates. The PPARD gene counteracts this shift by promoting the use of fat as energy [R].

By improving fat metabolism, PPARD may increase longevity by preventing health disorders related to increased body fat [R].

Oxidative stress related to inflammation and insulin resistance also increase with age. Activation of PPARD can potentially counteract these processes, which may also contribute to longer lifespans [R].

PPARD And Longevity

There is some evidence that certain variants in the PPARD gene are associated with longevity.

More specifically, a variation in rs2016520 (also known as PPARD +294T/C) was found to be significantly more common in those that live exceptionally long lives [R].

According to a study of nearly 1,000 Chinese people originating from a region called Bama, the ‘T’ allele is more frequently found in those aged 90 and above. However, this association was only present in women [R].

Interestingly enough, long-lived individuals also had significantly higher cholesterol and triglyceride (fat) levels compared to younger subjects.

This suggests that the effect of rs2016520 on lifespan may not be linked to fat metabolism and may involve other factors instead [R].

Your PPARD Results for Longevity

You can see your genotypes for PPARD in the table below. However, keep in mind that these associations are based on studies from certain ethnic populations — so you should interpret your results with caution if you are not descended from one of these specific groups!

SNP Table

variant	genotype	frequency	risk allele
rs2016520

Primary SNP:

PPARD rs2016520

‘C’ = No association with longevity
‘T’ = More common in those with longer lifespans in certain populations
The association between the ‘T’ allele and longevity has only been found in women from certain Chinese populations

Frequency in Population

Generally speaking, the ‘T’ allele is much more common than the ‘C’ allele.

About 96% of Europeans carry at least one ‘T’ allele.

In Asian populations, about 94% carry at least one ‘T’ allele.

The frequency of the ‘T’ allele is similar in other ethnicities.

Recommendations

How Do These Recommendations Help With Longevity?

It’s not totally clear how the PPARD gene affects longevity. There is conflicting evidence on how variants in rs2016520 impact health.

On the one hand, the ‘C’ allele (the allele not associated with longevity) has been connected to negative effects on lifespan, such as higher cholesterol levels [R, R].

On the other hand, the ‘C’ allele has also been linked to positive outcomes, such as lower risk of obesity and better athletic performance [R, R].

In addition, there is evidence that the rare ‘C’ allele increases the activity of PPARD [R, R].

Because it’s unclear how PPARD activity affects longevity, the following recommendations will focus on general strategies that have been shown to improve longevity (instead of methods that directly change the activity of the PPARD gene).

Lifestyle

Regular Physical Activity

Exercise produces many of the same beneficial health effects that have been linked to PPARD.

For example, regular physical activity is an effective way to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride (fat) levels in the blood, according to strong clinical research [R].

Studies also show that consistent aerobic exercise reduces the risk of insulin resistance [R].

Interestingly enough, PPAR-δ is found in muscle and expression of PPARD is increased after exercise, leading to an increase in muscle fibers [R].

Regardless of the relationship between exercise and the PPARD gene, regular physical activity has consistently been shown to be one of the best ways to extend lifespan and improve quality of life [R, R, R].

Managing Weight

The PPARD gene plays a key role in the transportation and metabolization of triglycerides (the most common type of fat in the body). However, it’s not exactly clear how this relationship affects longevity [R].

What is clear is that bodyweight has a significant impact on lifespan. According to some estimates, obesity may reduce life expectancy by 10 years or more [R].

There is also evidence that high amounts of body fat can accelerate the aging process and increase the risk of age-related disease [R].

Restoring body weight to a normal BMI can reverse these negative effects and potentially improve longevity [R].

Quitting smoking

There’s evidence that smoking can increase cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which can contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease. Quitting can help restore these levels to normal [R].

There is also an interesting interaction between PPARD and smoking. One study suggests that the risk of cardiovascular disease may change depending on the rs2016520 genotype and smoking status [R].

In any case, smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the world. For smokers, quitting can significantly improve life expectancy [R].

Diet

The PPARD gene plays a key role in fat metabolism and animal studies show that high-fat diets can increase the activity of PPAR-δ, although it’s uncertain how this plays into longevity [R].

What is certain is that certain food choices can help reduce cholesterol, reduce triglyceride levels, and potentially improve longevity. These recommendations include [R, R]:

Reducing the amount of saturated and trans fats in the diet
Eating more fruits and vegetables
Eating more fish and other seafood
Trying the Mediterranean diet

Mathew Eng

PharmD

Mathew received his PharmD from the University of Hawaii and an undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Washington.

Mathew is a licensed pharmacist with clinical experience in oncology, infectious disease, and diabetes management. He has a passion for personalized patient care and believes that education is essential to living a healthy life. His goal is to motivate individuals to find ways to manage their chronic conditions.

Disclaimer

The information on this website has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration or any other official medical body. This information is presented for educational purposes only, and may not be used to diagnose or treat any illness or disease.

Also keep in mind that the “Risk Score” presented in this post is based only on a select number of SNPs, and therefore only represents a small portion of your total risk as an individual. Furthermore, these analyses are based primarily on associational studies, which do not necessarily imply causation. Finally, many other (non-genetic) factors can also play a significant role in the development of a disease or health condition — therefore, carrying any of the risk-associated genotypes discussed in this post does not necessarily mean you are at increased risk of developing a major health condition.

Always consult your doctor before acting on any information or recommendations discussed in this post — especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have been officially diagnosed with a medical condition.

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What Is The PPARD Gene? How Does PPARD Affect Lifespan PPARD And Longevity Your PPARD Results for Longevity

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How A Fat Metabolism Gene Affects Longevity (PPARD)

What Is The PPARD Gene?

The PPAR-δ Protein

How Does PPARD Affect Lifespan

PPARD And Longevity

Your PPARD Results for Longevity

SNP Table

Frequency in Population

Recommendations

How Do These Recommendations Help With Longevity?

Lifestyle

Regular Physical Activity

Managing Weight

Quitting smoking

Diet

Disclaimer

More inflammation & autoimmunity blogs

Content

Unlock Personalized Results And So Much More!

Essential Bundle

Essential

Bundle

Limited time offer 25% off

Ultimate Bundle

Policies

About

Navigation

Health reports