A groundbreaking study published in Nature Aging reveals that the human body does not age gradually through middle age but instead experiences rapid bursts of aging, typically around the ages of 44 and 60. The study, conducted by Stanford University researchers, tracked age-related changes in over 135,000 molecules and microbes in samples from more than 100 adults aged 25 to 75.
Tracking molecular and microbial changes
Researchers collected more than 5,400 samples, including blood, stool, and skin and nasal swabs, allowing them to observe fluctuations in a vast array of chemical compounds, bacteria, and cell components as people aged. The study found that the levels of these molecules and microbes do not change steadily over time but rather undergo significant shifts around the early 40s and again in the 60s.
Understanding aging and disease
While the study highlights these critical periods of rapid aging, the exact reasons behind these changes remain unclear. “When people become old, the molecules in your body change,” explained Xiaotao Shen, a computational biologist at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University and co-author of the study, in an interview with The Washington Post. “What we don’t know is what drives this change.”
The findings have significant implications for understanding age-related illnesses. The researchers suggest that these bursts of aging could help explain why diseases such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative conditions often emerge around the ages of 40 and 65, respectively. Further research is needed to uncover the underlying mechanisms driving these age-related changes.