A new study shows that the human body doesn’t age at a steady pace during adulthood. Instead, it speeds up significantly around the ages of 44 and 60.
The research, published on August 14th in the journal Nature Aging, examined over 11,000 different molecules in the body. The findings revealed that 81 percent of these molecules experience major changes at these specific ages.
This aging research focuses on understanding “biological age,” which is about the changes that happen in the body over time. Such changes affect proteins, metabolites, and gene activity. Unlike “chronological age,” which is simply the number of years since birth, biological age reflects how the body is aging on the inside.
The discovery that biological aging speeds up at two stages in midlife could help researchers explain why certain diseases become more common at specific ages. For instance, about 6.5 percent of people aged 40 to 59 have coronary artery disease. However, this number jumps to 19.8 percent in those aged 60 to 79, as reported by Live Science.
Researchers at Stanford University studied 108 people, aged 25 to 75, of various ethnic backgrounds. Over a period of up to seven years, they took blood samples from these participants every three to six months. This helped them monitor how factors such as gene activity and blood sugar levels changed over time.
Scientists find humans age dramatically in two bursts – at 44, then 60. Scientists findings suggest ageing is not a slow and steady process, they could explain spikes in health issues at certain ages.
The study, which tracked thousands of different molecules in people aged 25… pic.twitter.com/u3k68ZXWgr
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They noticed that changes around ages 44 and 60 were mostly related to heart health. For example, a protein that causes plaque buildup in arteries increased in people’s blood during their 40s and 60s.
They also found that during these ages, the body became less efficient at breaking down caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine can temporarily raise blood pressure, while alcohol initially lowers it but then later increases it again.
Unsaturated fatty acids drop at ages 44 and 60
The body’s ability to make unsaturated fatty acids, which help lower “bad” cholesterol, dropped at ages 44 and 60.
Although the study didn’t prove a direct link to heart health, it suggests why heart disease might become more common as people age.
The researchers also noticed that blood sugar levels were highest in people during their 40s and 60s, hinting at a possible connection to the development of type 2 diabetes as people get older.
Scientists are still unsure why the body’s chemistry changes significantly at ages 44 and 60. The study also didn’t consider how lifestyle factors, such as diet or exercise, might influence these changes.
Juan Carlos Verján, an aging researcher at the National Institute of Geriatrics in Mexico who was not part of the study, shared his thoughts with Live Science. He suggested that the changes around age 60 might be linked to inflammation.
For example, participants over 60 had higher levels of antioxidant enzymes in their blood. These enzymes help fight inflammation, indicating that inflammation might be building up in this age group.
