One for the Ages

There’s a new study on aging that has been making the rounds on the news and in social media that proclaims that we age rapidly at two points in our lives. Specifically, the study indicates that aging suddenly accelerates at the ages of 44 and 60, or at least that’s how it’s being reported in the media.

The study used a battery of lab tests to measure a wide variety of molecules in the blood of a little over 100 people of varying ages 40 and older and compared their levels to those of younger people. What they found was that overall levels of the tested molecules had peaks at the ages of 44 and 60 in comparison to the younger subjects. Now, they only measured blood levels of the various molecules (not how various tissues were impacted by them), and there was no attempt made to determine if the peaks actually caused aging or were a result of aging. It should also be noted that the peaks of the molecules tested were higher in the 44 year olds than in younger subjects, but often lower than the baselines of the younger subjects in the 60 year olds.

Yet somehow despite these limitations, the media has interpreted this study to be proof that we age suddenly at 44 and 60!

Now to be fair, it is pretty widely accepted that the aging process doesn’t occur steadily with advancing years. But that’s highly variable and often associated with a lot of different factors – hormone changes (which can be manipulated medically and/or affected by various environmental factors, illnesses, etc.), injuries, and lifestyle factors like smoking, diet, and exercise, can all dramatically impact the aging process.

While I’m not a researcher nor a statistician, it seems to me that the study in question raises more questions than provides answers about aging. But in any event, the idea that most or all people suddenly get a lot older at two particular years in their lives is frankly a bit silly (in defense of the researchers, they aren’t the ones promoting this idea, it’s the interpretation by health reporters that’s the problem)!

Even if it were true, the finding is not particularly useful. It’s not like you can just skip your 44^th and/or 60^th birthdays (well, you could, but really only by ceasing aging altogether, and that’s problematic)! But the big problem is that putting such a concept of predetermination out there creates a sense of inevitability in some people’s minds. “Well, I guess there’s no reason to take care of myself if I’m just going to go downhill rapidly at certain ages anyway!”

But again, aging is highly variable, and health and longevity can be greatly enhanced with a healthy lifestyle at any age! In fact, exercise in particular produces significant anti-aging effects in people in their 70’s, 80’s, and even 90’s! It probably does so for people in their 100’s too, but for some reason the research seems to be lacking in that age group!

In any event, I think it’s safe to say that we can ignore the hype about aging faster at the ages of 44 and 60. In fact, probably any health reporting in the popular media should be viewed with a good dose of skepticism.

Until next time…

George F. Best, D.C.