Your Body Gets Much Older at These Two Ages, Study Shows...

Peter Finch / Getty Images

Fact checked by Nick BlackmerFact checked by Nick Blackmer
Key TakeawaysA new study suggests that aging may occur in distinct bursts at 44 and 60.More research is needed to confirm the findings across diverse populations, including potential differences between men and women.Experts say midlife is a critical period for lifestyle factors to play a key role in healthy aging.
Aging doesn’t only happen gradually but also in specific bursts at about the ages of 44 and 60, according to new research.Beginning in your early 40s, you will experience changes in lipids and alcohol metabolism while your kidney function, carbohydrate metabolism, and immune regulation decline around age 60. The researchers also noted significant changes to skin, muscle, and heart disease risk in both 40s and 60s.The study only included 108 people in California between the ages of 25 and 75, and more research is needed to confirm the findings. However, these findings could lead to new diagnostic tests and preventative strategies for aging-related diseases.Living for a long time isn’t necessarily linked to healthy or active old age. For most people, their average “health span”—the amount of time spent in good health—is 11–15 years shorter than their lifespan, according to Michael Snyder, PhD, a senior author of the study and director of the Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine at Stanford University.“We want to extend their healthspan to be the same length, and ideally extend their lifespan a bit too,” Snyder told Verywell in an email.
Related: If You Were Born After 1965, Your Cells Might Be Aging Faster
Midlife Is Important for Healthy AgingPrevious studies have shown that your health at midlife, typically between the ages of 40 and 65, plays a major role in how healthy you are later in life. A 2018 study in the journal Nutrients linked specific lifestyle factors at midlife—such as having a healthy body weight, being physically active, eating a high-quality diet, and not smoking—with improved health during aging.A 2020 report published in the journal The Lancet also showed that midlife marks an important transition period in brain health. Managing blood pressure and staying active socially, cognitively, and physically during this phase of life can help reduce future dementia risk, according to this report.The new study adds to this growing body of research on the health span and highlights the importance of developing certain lifestyle habits earlier in life.“Your health at 60, 70, or 80 is really determined by what you do in the decades before that,” said Kenneth Boockvar, MD, director of the Integrative Center for Aging Research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who was not involved in the study.It is too early to make specific recommendations based on this new study, but people who want to be healthy at 60 should start paying attention to their diet and lifestyle at ages 40 and 50, he added.
Related: Does Sunscreen Really Prevent Skin Aging?
Aging Is Inevitable, but Lifestyle Changes Improve Health SpanThe new study found that molecules and microbes associated with aging decline at specific points in the lifespan, but future studies are needed to determine if the same molecular changes occur in different groups of people.“We want to profile more people across the country to see if what we observe is true for everyone—not just those in the Bay Area,” Snyder said. “And we want to analyze the difference between men and women. Women live longer, and we would like to understand why.”Aging is inevitable, but making certain lifestyle changes can help mitigate some of the risks associated with aging-related diseases. However, many other factors, like environment, economic stability, and access to health care and education, also impact healthy aging outcomes and are not easy for individuals to control.Snyder said people can make small lifestyle changes by staying hydrated to support kidney health, building muscle mass with weight training, and taking cholesterol medications if their LDL cholesterol is rising.“This likely will not stop aging but will reduce the issues we observed and help extend people’s health span,” he added.
Read Next: Top 10 Anti-Aging Foods to Fit Into Your Diet

What This Means For YouAlthough aging is inevitable, making healthy lifestyle changes in your 40s and 50s—such as managing weight, staying active, and monitoring cholesterol—can help extend your health span and improve your well-being as you age.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.

Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!

Source link

What's your thought on the article, write a comment

0 Comments

Sign In to perform this Activity

Account Frozen

Ads