Aging is an inevitable and irreversible process that involves the gradual degradation of all parts of the body, resulting in an increased risk of death from any natural causes. The rate of human aging depends on many factors, such as heredity, stress, bad habits, etc. But regardless of anything, the aging process does not occur linearly, but in stages. That is, in some periods of life, a person practically does not age, and in others, his biological age changes rapidly. In a recent study, scientists discovered that there are two jumps in people's lives when aging occurs most quickly. Therefore, if one morning you noticed that you suddenly aged a lot, perhaps you were not imagining it.
Human aging occurs in stages with two peak moments. Photo source: liter.kz
When does the peak of aging occur
Aging is a complex process that increases the risk of any disease. Scientists have been studying it for many years, if not to slow down aging, then at least to mitigate its consequences. In a recent study, Stanford University scientists decided to pay attention to biomarkers that can determine how much a person has aged. To do this, they tracked the condition of more than 100 adults aged 25 to 70 years. All of them gave biological samples every few months for several years.
In this way, the scientists tracked various types of biomolecules, including RNA, proteins, lipids, and taxa of the intestinal, skin, nasal, and oral microbiome. In total, they tracked more than 13,000 biological features. Each participant in the experiment provided 47 samples over 626 days. As a result, the scientists were able to observe what changes at the molecular level occur in the volunteers' bodies every few months and how their biological age changes.
The peak of aging occurs at 45 and 60 years. Photo source: u.club120.com
As a result, scientists have discovered that the most serious changes in the human body are observed at two different stages, which affect many different types of molecules. As the authors of the work themselves report, about 81 of all changes occur either at one of these stages, or at both stages at once. The first stage reaches its peak in the mid-40s, we can say that this happens at 45 years. That is, at this moment a person ages most quickly. The second stage begins in the early 60s, that is, approximately at 60-63 years.
“We’re not just changing gradually over time. We’re changing in really dramatic ways,” says Stanford geneticist Michael Snyder, the study’s senior author.
It’s worth noting that scientists have noticed before that aging isn’t linear. In several previous studies, the authors found peaks of molecular changes in rats and humans. Other studies have also found a gradual aging process in fruit flies, mice, and zebrafish.
At 45, there are significant changes in the skin. Photo source: dzen.ru
How the body ages
As explained by Stanford University employees, the processes that occur at each of the aging peaks are different. At 45, scientists observed changes in molecules associated with the metabolism of lipids, caffeine and alcohol. Changes were also observed in biomarkers associated with cardiovascular diseases, skin and muscle dysfunction.
During the second peak, when a person reaches age 60, scientists have found changes in carbohydrate and caffeine metabolism, cardiovascular disease, skin and muscle, immune regulation, and kidney function.
Why Aging Accelerates at Ages 45 and 60
In a study published in the journal Nature Aging, the authors report that the first peak of aging occurs precisely at the time when women begin menopause. However, according to scientists, menopause does not play a decisive role in the aging process. The fact is that in men, changes at the molecular level occur at the same age.
Rapid aging of women at 4 years is not associated with menopause. Photo source: dzen.ru
Therefore, if menopause does affect the aging process in women, there are probably other, more significant factors that also affect men. However, researchers cannot yet say what the gradual aging is associated with and what factors influence it.
Additional research will be needed to answer all the questions, which, according to scientists, should be a priority. This work is quite limited due to the relatively small sample. According to the authors, studying a wider range of volunteers will allow us to better understand how the human body changes over time.
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Finally, we note that although the aging process is considered irreversible, it is easy to combat the changes that occur at the molecular level. Therefore, in the course of one of the studies, scientists still managed to reverse aging. Moreover, anyone can use the method that the scientists describe in their study.