Scientists from Duke University found people grow old at different rates, regardless of what the calendar says.
And for those whose bodies age more quickly, the cumulative effects show up as early as midlife, when signs of dementia and physical frailty begin to emerge.
The findings suggest that identifying and treating the diseases of old age should begin by the time people celebrate their 45th birthday, before the problems escalate, degrade quality of life and impose huge personal and societal costs.
The research is published in Nature Aging and was conducted by Maxwell Elliott et al.
In the study, the team created a unique database within a study that was established in New Zealand in the 1970s.
The Dunedin Study enrolled 1,037 babies born in 1972-73, and more than 90% the participants are still enrolled and continue to participate in health measurements.
Among the data gathered over the years are biomarkers for changes in heart, kidney, lung and immune system functions, as well as dental health, mental acuity and physical abilities.
The team assigned an aging rate to the study group based on the biomarkers for organ health.
They found that some of the 45-year-olds aged at a rate that was slower than average for their chronological age.
These slow-aging participants looked younger (their faces had fewer wrinkles), they remained mentally sharp, their cardiovascular health was good and they continued to walk at a brisk pace.
On the other end of the spectrum were 45-year-olds who aged more rapidly.
These people looked older, showed signs of cognitive decline as measured by IQ scores, felt less healthy and even tended to have pessimistic attitudes about aging.
By midlife, people who had aged more rapidly were already at risk of developing frailties that impair physical and financial independence.
The analysis shows that the pace of aging is a strong indicator of the cumulative, progressive and gradual deterioration across organ systems that underlies biological aging.
These findings demonstrate that meaningful variations in biological aging can be measured and quantified in midlife, providing a window of opportunity for the mitigation of age-related diseases.
The team says that earlier interventions to slow the speed of aging would have benefits both for individuals and the broader society.
If you care about bone health, please read studies that plant-based diets can harm your bone health without some nutrients, and this bone problem may strongly increase COVID-19 death risk.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that too much of this vitamin may increase your risk of bone fractures, and results show this type of exercise may protect your bone health, slow down bone aging.
Copyright © 2022 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
