Research
Mixed
A decline in mitophagy with age leads to the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria, increased ROS, and functional decline, suggesting that restoring mitophagy could mitigate age-related deficits.
Maintaining mitochondrial health through exercise and metabolic health supports natural mitophagy. This is a key factor in preventing age-related muscle loss and fatigue.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
There is evidence that the level of mitophagy markedly declines in mammalian tissues during normal aging (70, 81). It is tempting to speculate that this decline underlies the known accumulation of damaged mitochondria and provides a mechanism for the observed functional deficits and increased oxidative stress commonly observed in aging tissues and organs.
Why this rating
Strong correlation in humans and mice, with mechanistic insights from genetic models, though causal proof in humans is still developing.
Source
The role of mitochondria in aging
Ji Yong Jang et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 2018
DOI 10.1172/jci120842
narrative_reviewCited 360×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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- Mitochondrial dysfunction and the subsequent release of mitochondrial DAMPs (such as mtDNA and ROS) drive chronic sterile inflammation (inflammaging), which accelerates aging and age-related pathologies.Good
- Stimulating mitophagy (the removal of damaged mitochondria) using compounds like spermidine or urolithin A can prevent age-related pathologies and extend lifespan in model organisms.Moderate
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