Study finds humans age dramatically at 44 and 60 years

A new medical study suggests that rather than being a slow and steady process, aging occurs in at least two accelerated bursts at around the age of 44 and 60 years.

The research conducted by Nature Aging tracked thousands of different molecules in people aged 25 to 75 and detected two major waves of age-related changes at around age 44 and again at 60.

The findings could explain why specific health issues, including problems related to muscles, bones and cardiovascular disease, occur at certain ages.

“We’re not just changing gradually over time. There are some really dramatic changes,” said senior author Prof Michael Snyder, a geneticist and director of the Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine at Stanford University.

“It turns out the mid-40s is a time of dramatic change, as is the early 60s – and that’s true no matter what class of molecules you look at,” he added.

The Guardian elaborates that the research was conducted over a period of seven years and tracked 108 volunteers, who submitted blood and stool samples and skin, oral and nasal swabs every few months.

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Researchers studied 135,000 molecules and microbes from participants’ guts and skin, finding significant shifts in molecular and microbial profiles at two key life stages: mid-40s and early 60s.

For scientists, the mid-40s shift was unexpected and not solely due to menopause. The study stresses that similar changes were observed in men. The first wave of changes involved molecules related to cardiovascular health, caffeine, alcohol, and lipid metabolism, while the second wave affected immune regulation, carbohydrate metabolism, and kidney function.

However, the molecules linked to skin and muscle ageing were believed to be affected at both stages.

Although previous studies indicated a potential later spike in ageing around age 78, this study could not confirm it due to the age limit of participants.