We know that our bodies change over time. New Research These changes suggest that they may be more sudden and dramatic than previously thought.
A new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine finds that many of the molecules and microbes in our bodies increase or decrease in number rapidly at two specific times in our lives — at ages 44 and 60.
The researchers came to this conclusion after evaluating thousands of molecules (including RNA, proteins and metabolites) from the microbiome – the collection of bacteria, viruses and fungi that live on and in the bodies of people between the ages of 25 and 75.
The researchers found that 81 percent of the molecules they studied exhibited nonlinear fluctuations, undergoing greater changes at some points than at others. The results of the study were published Wednesday. Journal of Nature Aging.
Michael Snyder“We’re not changing gradually over time, there are really dramatic changes,” said Dr. Gregory, head of the Genetics Department and senior author of the study. “We found that the mid-40s is a time of dramatic change, and similarly the early 60s, and this is true regardless of what class of molecules we look at.”
Researchers believe these dramatic changes are reflected in larger changes within the body.
The research team observed that the risk of developing age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease was increasing exponentially, rather than steadily, and they wanted to study the effects of molecular and microbial changes.
In their 40s, molecular changes were seen in a number of molecules related to alcohol, caffeine, lipid metabolism, cardiovascular disease, skin and muscle.
In people in their 60s, changes were related to carbohydrate and caffeine metabolism, immune regulation, kidney function, cardiovascular disease, skin and muscle.
Among the 108 people who took part in the study, the researchers identified four “age types” that indicate different rates of aging in the kidneys, liver, metabolism and immune systems.
When the researchers looked at the clusters of molecules with the greatest fluctuations in abundance, they found that these changes most commonly occurred during two periods: in the mid-40s and early 60s.
The mid-40s cluster surprised scientists, who initially assumed that these changes in women were due to menopause or perimenopause, which skewed the group. But when they separated the study group by gender, they found that the cluster changes affected men as well.
“This suggests that while perimenopause or menopause may contribute to the changes seen in women in their mid-40s, there are likely other, more important factors influencing these changes in both men and women,” explains Xiaotao Shen, a former postdoctoral research fellow at the Stanford University School of Medicine and lead author of the study. “Identifying and studying these factors should be a priority for future research.”
As Shen suggests, further research is needed to explore the drivers of these sudden changes, whether the results are due to behavioral or biological factors.
Whatever the cause, the researchers recommend paying particular attention to your health, especially in your 40s and 60s, and living in line with these biomolecular changes by increasing your exercise and reducing your alcohol intake.
“I’m a big believer in adjusting your lifestyle while you’re still healthy,” Snyder says.
