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The study, which involved monitoring thousands of different molecules in people aged 25 to 75, revealed two major waves of age-related changes, around age 44 and again around age 60. This could explain why certain health problems, including musculoskeletal issues and cardiovascular disease, appear to surge in certain age groups, The Guardian reported.
“We didn’t just change gradually over time. There were some really big changes,” said study author Professor Michael Snyder, a geneticist and director of the Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine at Stanford University.
“It turns out that the mid-1940s was a period of great change, and so was the early 1960s, no matter what class of molecules you looked at,” he said, reporting N1.
108 people participated in the study, providing blood and stool samples and swabs of the skin, mouth and nose every few months for between one and nearly seven years. The researchers looked at 135,000 different molecules (RNA, proteins and metabolites) and microbes (bacteria, viruses and fungi living in the participants’ guts and on their skin).
It turned out that most molecules and microbes did not change gradually. When the scientists looked for clusters of molecules that changed the most, they found that these shifts typically occurred when people entered their 40s and early 60s.
The increase in aging intensity in the mid-40s was unexpected and was initially thought to be a result of perimenopausal changes in women, affecting outcomes for the entire group. However, the data showed that similar changes occurred in men in their 40s.
“This suggests that while menopause or perimenopause may cause changes in women in their 40s, there may be other more important factors that influence these changes in both men and women,” said Xiaotao Shen, PhD, a former postdoctoral fellow at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Changes in the first phase involved molecules associated with cardiovascular disease and the ability to metabolize caffeine, alcohol and lipids. Changes in the second phase involved molecules involved in immune regulation, carbohydrate metabolism and kidney function. Molecules associated with skin and muscle aging changed in both periods. Previous studies have suggested that aging may occur around age 78, but the latest study could not confirm this because the oldest participant was 75 years old.
This pattern fits with previous evidence that the risk of many age-related diseases does not increase gradually, with the risk of Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease rising sharply after age 60. It is also possible that some of these changes may be related to lifestyle or behavioral factors. For example, changes in alcohol metabolism may be the result of increased drinking in the mid-40s, which can be a very stressful time in life.
The authors say the findings could aid targeted interventions, such as increasing exercise during periods of faster muscle loss.
“I think we should try to adjust our lifestyles as long as it’s healthy,” Snyder said.
(24sata.info)
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