Hormesis is Applicable as a Pro-Healthy Aging Intervention in Mammals and Human Beings

The aging of the population brings new health challenges, and in particular, the need to implement suitable pro-healthy aging interventions. This paper discusses the potential of mild stressors inducing hormesis as a lifespan and healthspan extension strategy and how it can be applied to the human. There is some evidence that the anti-aging benefits of lifestyle factors, such as diet, exercise or engaging in activities may be achieved via hormetic regulation. This supports the validity of the concept in human. There are, however, gaps in knowledge and ethical barriers that need to be addressed to establish the suitability of the approach to the clinical context or the general geriatric population. In particular, we need to find out which stressors are safe for use as anti-aging interventions, when they have to be applied to achieve maximal benefits, how their therapeutic potential is altered by changes in the stress system induced by age and pathological conditions, and the extent to which the occurrence of adverse versus positive effects depends on interacting genetic and experiential factors.