Editorial on special issue “lifestyle and ageing in muscle disease”

Abstract

We live in the era of Lifestyle diseases, i.e. conditions that are caused by our modern bad habits (such as tobacco use, lack of exercise, bad diet and alcohol misuse). As reported by the BBC, quoting World Health Organization (WHO) figures and statements, ‘‘Lifestyle-related diseases are now the leading cause of death worldwide, killing 36 million people a year’’ (BBC 2011). We also live in an ageing modern world. For example, in the European region, according to the WHO, the proportion of the population aged over 65 years will increase from 14 % in 2010 to 25 % in 2050 (WHO 2012). A variety of disease states, or ‘just’ healthy ageing, are essentially associated with an altered metabolic and contractile behaviour of the musculature. This is because these chronic conditions and ageing affect contractile protein structure/function, expression levels, and/or prevailing intracellular conditions, and thus they essentially modify muscle function. Hence, research that helps us to understand how muscles work and which can ultimately help towards maintaining/restoring muscle function can have a pervasive beneficial impact for society. How do lifestyle and ageing link to muscle disease?