Scientists find ‘aging waves’ at 44 and 60 as they blow apart idea we gradually grow older

Feeling like you have aged overnight?

A new study published in the journal Nature Aging has revealed that the ageing process happens in pronounced ‘waves’ as opposed to a slow and steady climb. 

After extensive research, a team of Stanford scientists determined that age-related changes including slowing metabolism, wrinkling skin and increased proneness to diseases show significant peaks at age 44 and 60. 

Such changes can lead to weight gain or stronger effects from drinking alcohol. 

Dr Michael Snyder, professor of genetics at Stanford University and senior author of the study, said: ‘People assume everybody’s kind of aging gradually. It turns out that most changes are not linear.’

To offset the impact of these dramatic aging ‘waves’, the team suggests that people approaching the milestones of 44 and 60 exercise more often and adopt a healthier diet.

The team analyzed data from repeated collections of blood and stool samples and oral, skin and nasal swabs from 108 healthy people between the ages of 25 and 75 across California over a median period of 1.7 years. 

During analysis, scientists noticed that 81 percent of the observed molecules including proteins and RNA changed in at least one wave. 

The team ultimately concluded substantial dysregulation occurring at two major periods – with the age of 44 causing the biggest shift, and 60 also producing a significant uptick.

Dr. Steve Hoffmann, a computational biologist at Leibniz Institute on Aging in Germany told the Wall Street Journal: ‘These studies probably align very well with the experiences we have ourselves, or heard from others who perceive a sudden decline in physiological fitness.’

In people in their 40s, significant changes were seen in the number of molecules related to alcohol, caffeine and lipid metabolism; cardiovascular disease; and skin and muscle

In those in their 60s, changes were related to carbohydrate and caffeine metabolism, immune regulation, kidney function, cardiovascular disease, and skin and muscle.

‘Identifying and studying these factors should be a priority for future research,’ said Dr Xiaotao Shen, a former Stanford Medicine postdoctoral scholar, and now an assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University Singapore.

In people in their 40s, significant changes were seen in the number of molecules related to alcohol, caffeine and lipid metabolism; cardiovascular disease; and skin and muscle.

In those in their 60s, changes were related to carbohydrate and caffeine metabolism, immune regulation, kidney function, cardiovascular disease, and skin and muscle.

It’s possible some of these changes could be tied to lifestyle or behavioral factors that cluster at these age groups, Dr Snyder said.

The findings suggest individuals must pay attention to their health in their 40s and 60s

The researchers at first concluded that the wave in people’s 40s could be attributed to perimenopause or menopause in women.

But they noticed that the same aging pattern was apparent in men. 

They theorized that  dysfunction in alcohol metabolism could result from an uptick in alcohol consumption in people’s mid-40s, often a stressful period of life.

As for the changes in those hitting their 60s, the researchers stated that the findings could provide answers for why people are increasingly susceptible to becoming seriously ill from the flu as they age.

Among Americans aged 65 and older, almost 90 percent have at least one chronic health condition and nearly two-thirds suffer from two chronic illnesses, according to the CDC. 

The team plans to explore the drivers of these clusters of change.

But the findings suggest individuals must pay attention to their health in their 40s and 60s, the researchers said.

That could look like increasing exercise to protect your heart and maintain muscle mass, or decreasing alcohol consumption.

‘I’m a big believer that we should try to adjust our lifestyles while we’re still healthy,’ Dr Snyder said.