People age dramatically in two strokes
People do not age uniformly, but in spurts. This is shown by a study from Stanford University. According to this, there are two main periods when most molecules and microbes in the body change suddenly. The researchers suspect that this is also related to lifestyle.
People age in two main periods. This was found by a research team from Stanford University. These main periods are around 44 and 60 years old, as reported by the researchers, including geneticist Michael P. Snyder, in the journal "Nature Aging".
For the study, 108 volunteers aged 25 to 75 from California were recruited. Over 1.7 years, blood and stool samples, as well as skin, mouth, and nasal swabs, were taken every few months and re-examined after nearly seven years. The researchers analyzed a total of 135,000 different molecules such as RNA, proteins, and metabolites, as well as microbes, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, that live in the gut and on the skin of every person.
They found that the frequency of most molecules and microbes does not change gradually and chronologically, but rather increases or decreases in spurts. The researchers then looked at the groups of molecules with the largest changes and found that the sudden changes occurred in the mid-40s and early 60s.
First Explanation Attempt
The dramatic jump in the mid-40s was unexpected for the research team and was initially attributed to changes in the body of women approaching menopause. However, further analysis of the data showed that similar changes also occur in men in their mid-40s.
"We're not just changing gradually over time. There are some really dramatic changes," Snyder is quoted as saying in "The Guardian". "It shows that the mid-40s is a time of dramatic changes, as are the early 60s. And this is true regardless of what molecule class you're looking at."
Two Waves, Many Changes
The research team saw the first wave of changes mainly in molecules related to cardiovascular disease and the metabolism of caffeine, alcohol, and lipids. The second wave of changes was mainly in molecules involved in immune regulation, carbohydrate metabolism, and kidney function. Molecules related to the aging of skin and muscles changed suddenly at both times.
The researchers suspect that these sudden changes could have direct effects on health. They also suggest that these dramatic changes may not be biologically determined, but rather related to people's lifestyles. For example, changes in alcohol metabolism could be due to an increase in alcohol consumption in the mid-40s, a often stressful life phase, as Snyder is quoted as saying in a university statement.
The Stanford Medicine team is now planning to investigate the causes of these changes. Regardless of the causes, the existence of these clusters suggests that people should pay attention to their health, especially in their 40s and 60s, emphasize the researchers. This could mean exercising more in both age groups to protect the heart and maintain muscle mass, or limiting alcohol consumption in one's 40s as the ability to metabolize alcohol decreases. "I firmly believe that we should try to adjust our lifestyle while we're still healthy," summarizes Snyder.
The findings of this research on ageing, led by Stanford University, reveal two significant periods of molecular and microbial changes in the human body. These periods occur around 44 and 60 years of age, as reported in the journal "Nature Aging."
Further research in this field, as planned by the Stanford Medicine team, aims to uncover the causes behind these dramatic changes in our mid-40s and early 60s, suggesting the importance of paying attention to one's health during these periods.
