We don’t just change gradually over time; sometimes, those changes are truly dramatic. Throughout our lives, we all experience periods of rapid transformation—those dreaded “aging milestones”—which typically occur around ages 44 and 60, according to American researchers in a study published on August 14 in the journal Nature Aging.
Stanford Medicine scientists conducted research based on the observation that the risks of Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular problems significantly increase with age, whereas these risks rise more gradually in people under 60. By analyzing thousands of different molecules in individuals aged 25 to 75, as well as their microbiomes, they identified four distinct “ageotypes.” These findings suggest that our kidneys, liver, metabolism, and immune system age at different rates, depending on the person.
Further analysis of biological samples over several years revealed that the thousands of molecules and microbes within us fluctuate in number from year to year. Approximately 81% of these molecules exhibit nonlinear fluctuations, meaning they change more during certain life stages than others. It turns out that these transformations most frequently occur in mid-forties and early sixties.
Researchers Surprised by Significant Changes in Mid-Forties
Specifically, the number of molecules linked to cardiovascular diseases changes significantly during these two stages, while those related to immune function shift in the early sixties.
“Mid-forties is a period of dramatic change, just like the early sixties, regardless of the class of molecules studied,” explains Michael Snyder, Professor of Genetics and the study’s lead author, in a press release.
While it’s well established that many disease risks increase after age 60, the researchers were surprised by the magnitude of changes observed in the mid-forties. Initially, they suspected that women might be more affected by these shifts due to perimenopause. However, men experienced similar changes, suggesting other factors at play.
“This suggests that while menopause or perimenopause may contribute to changes observed in women during their mid-forties, there are likely other, more significant factors influencing these changes in both men and women. Identifying and studying these factors should be a priority for future research,” adds Xiaotao Shen, Ph.D., former postdoctoral researcher at Stanford Medicine and the study’s first author.
Lifestyle Factors May Play a Role in Aging Milestones
Among people in their forties to sixties, researchers noticed changes primarily related to alcohol, caffeine, and lipid metabolism, as well as cardiovascular diseases, skin, and muscles. For those in their sixties, the differences were more focused on carbohydrate and caffeine metabolism, immune regulation, kidney function, cardiovascular diseases, skin, and muscles.
However, researchers note that “some of these changes might be related to lifestyle or behavioral factors common in these age groups, rather than purely biological factors.” For example, a dysfunction in alcohol metabolism could stem from increased alcohol consumption during mid-forties, often a stressful period in life.
To clarify these findings, scientists plan to explore various potential factors in future studies. Regardless, these results highlight the importance of maintaining good health, especially in your forties and sixties, whether it means increasing physical activity, reducing alcohol consumption, or altering your diet.
Walk More, Eat Mediterranean, and Don’t Forget Your Sunscreen
Walking is an excellent habit to cultivate for healthy aging. You don’t even need to hit 10,000 steps daily. According to studies, 4,000 daily steps can reduce mortality risk, and even 2,300 steps per day offer significant health benefits.
Adopting a Mediterranean diet is also frequently recommended by doctors to delay aging. This diet helps strengthen the immune system and heart, reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity, and lowers bad cholesterol levels in the blood.
As for your skin, it needs sunscreen every single day, even when the weather looks gloomy.
**Ces 2 Âges Où On Vieillit D’un Coup Identifiés Par La Science**
This article first appeared on topsante.com – Author: Raphaëlle de Tappie
