A 2024 study analyzed over 100 participants to track when aging speeds up the most.
A recent study has identified two key points in life when aging speeds up significantly.
Many people assume that aging kicks into high gear during major life events, like having kids, due to stress. However, research suggests otherwise.
Scientists studied 108 participants, all between the ages of 25 and 75, from California, USA.
Each person underwent comprehensive multi-omics profiling, allowing researchers to observe how aging affects the body over time.
Scientists analyzed around 11,000 of the participants’ molecules
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The participants were monitored for an average of 1.7 years, with some tracked for up to 6.8 years, according to the study.
The findings were eye-opening.
Researchers collected molecular samples through nose and mouth swabs, which enabled scientists from Stanford University to analyze how various factors – such as blood sugar levels and blood pressure fluctuated over time.
The study examined approximately 135,000 different molecules and microbes, and researchers found that two age groups experienced the most significant shifts.
According to the report, 81 percent of the study participants saw dramatic changes at two specific ages: 44 and 60.
Commenting on the findings, Professor Michael Snyder, a geneticist and director of the Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine at Stanford University, stated: “We’re not just changing gradually over time. There are some really dramatic changes.”
The study was conducted by researchers at Stanford University
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“It turns out the mid-40s is a time of dramatic change, as is the early 60s – and that’s true no matter what class of molecules you look at.”
“I’m a big believer that we should try to adjust our lifestyles while we’re still healthy.”
Researchers observed that many of these biological changes were linked to heart health.
They also found that participants’ ability to metabolize caffeine declined around these ages.
44-year-olds were found to experience a spike in the ageing process
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Additionally, people in the 44 and 60-year-old age groups showed increased blood sugar levels.
Scientists also detected higher levels of a protein associated with atherosclerosis, a condition where fats and cholesterol build up in the arteries.
While the biological shifts at 44 often align with perimenopause for those with a uterus, one researcher believes that other factors play a more significant role in these aging changes.
Dr. Xiaotao Shen, a former postdoctoral scholar at Stanford Medical School and the study’s first author, explained: “This suggests that while menopause or perimenopause may contribute to the changes observed in women in their mid-40s, there are likely other, more significant factors influencing these changes in both men and women.”