The case in summary Researchers at Stanford University have found that aging is not a smooth process, but occurs more intensively in certain periods of life. The study shows that the most dramatic changes occur in the mid-40s and early 60s. The researchers studied over 100,000 molecules and microbes in a group of 108 adults over several years. In the 40s, the researchers saw major changes in the number of molecules related to alcohol, caffeine and metabolism, as well as changes related to the heart and blood vessels, skin and muscles. For people in their 60s, the big changes were more about the breakdown of carbohydrates, the immune system, kidney functions, and cardiovascular disease. The risk of Alzheimer’s disease does not increase gradually with time, but escalates sharply after the age of 60. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. You may have woken up one morning, looked in the mirror and felt more wrinkled and tired than ever before? It’s probably just your brain playing tricks on you. Or? Not necessarily, according to researchers at Stanford University in the US. They have discovered that aging is not a smooth and slow process, but rather something that takes place more intensely in certain periods of our lives. And there are apparently two specific ages that stand out, according to the new study published in Nature Aging. – Dramatic – We don’t just change gradually over time, it’s more dramatic than that. So says geneticist Michael Snyder, who is one of the researchers behind the study. – It turns out that the mid-40s is a time for major changes, and we see the same in the early 60s. And the result is the same regardless of the type of molecules we study. He says so in a press release. So if you feel a little more “rusty” in the year you turn 44 or 60, there is a completely natural explanation. If that’s any consolation at all? Studied thousands of molecules and microbes Aging is complex. It is associated with an increasing risk of diseases of all kinds. And by understanding what happens in the body, the researchers hope that in the future it will be possible to prevent some of these diseases. In their work, they studied more than 100,000 molecules and microbes in a group of 108 adult people. All participants donated biological samples over several years. What the researchers found was that most of the molecules and microbes did not change in a gradual way. But that the big changes happen in two bursts, namely in the mid-40s and at the start of the 60s. What happens in the 40s is more surprising, they write. The researchers believe it will be useful for people to have an extra focus on health in the years when the changes are greatest. Then it can be smart to take the training seriously. Photo: SCANPIX/Kyrre Lien Affects the kidneys, heart, skin and muscles At first, researchers thought that the changes in the mid-40s could be linked to women’s menopause. And that this gave a kind of bias in the system they had. But when they studied the data more closely, they also saw similar results among the male population. In people in their 40s, they saw major changes in the number of molecules related to alcohol, caffeine and metabolism. In addition, changes related to the heart and blood vessels, skin and muscles were found. For people in their 60s, it was more about the breakdown of carbohydrates, the immune system, kidney functions, and cardiovascular diseases. The results also showed that the risk of Alzheimer’s disease does not increase gradually over time. It escalates sharply after the age of 60. Will not conclude Geir Selbæk is a specialist in geriatrics and head of research at the National Center for Aging and Health. – It is not very surprising that something happens when we pass 60 years. We have seen from previous investigations that there can be a drop in functional level at this age. For example, there are some cognitive functions that deteriorate more quickly, he says. And he believes the change in the 40s can also have a natural explanation among men. – Perhaps they are also going through a form of menopause. We do know that men’s testosterone levels drop from the age of 40, although it has been debated how serious the symptoms this causes. Selbæk further explains that even if the study has been carried out in a good way, one should be careful in drawing conclusions. He believes that the individual variation is large. And that lifestyle must also be taken into account. In addition, Selbæk points out that the study is quite small. And that participants who are over 75 have also not been included. – Previous studies have shown that a corresponding change occurs at the age of 78. I think most of us can feel on our bodies or look in the mirror that we are getting older. I myself am convinced that something happened to me as soon as I passed 60, says Geir Selbæk. Photo: Aleksandr Nedbaev / news Published 21.08.2024, at 21.51
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Our bodies age dramatically twice in our lifetime
