“WAVES OF TIME” IN A “WORLD OF DESPAIR”: Peoples, Individuals, and Their Organs Age Differently

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Aging is a very strange process. It occurs nonlinearly and unevenly, and at a certain age it accelerates. Moreover, in different regions of the world, people age in their own ways. All of this has been revealed through recent scientific studies.

BEWARE OF THE CRITICAL AGE!

he scientific journal Nature has published data suggesting that the age of 50 can be considered the main crisis point in human life. Roughly halfway to the century mark, the aging of the body begins to accelerate dramatically. At the same time, aging proceeds nonlinearly, marked by periods of rapid change. At certain moments, “waves of time” seem to crash down upon us, bringing irreversible damage in their wake. The most significant changes are linked to hormonal and metabolic regulation. For example, Chinese scientists have identified another critical age — 30. In the group they studied, they observed an age-related increase in the expression of 48 proteins associated with disease. In addition, early changes were recorded in the adrenal glands, which are responsible for producing various hormones. Scientists also speak of turning points in the aging process that occur around the ages of 44, 60, and 80. Research has not yet progressed further along the age scale, which leaves us some hope: perhaps for those who have crossed the threshold of 80, the “waves of time” become somewhat less dangerous?

IS THE AORTA TO BLAME FOR EVERYTHING?

Scientists still do not fully understand what exactly triggers this age-related “transition”. But they have firmly established that some human organs age faster than others. First and foremost, this concerns the blood vessels. The most pronounced changes were observed in the aorta — the body’s main artery, which carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart. It may all come down to one of the proteins produced in the aorta. Researchers discovered that when this protein was injected into mice, they developed signs of accelerated aging. There is a hypothesis that, moving through the blood vessels, molecules that promote aging are then carried to the most distant parts of the body. The most significant protein-related changes begin to occur precisely between the ages of 45 and 55. These processes unfold unevenly. A person begins to resemble a machine whose some parts are more subject to wear and tear, while others are less so.

THE BIOBEHAVIORAL GAP

A whole range of factors contribute to accelerated aging: high blood pressure, hearing impairment, heart disease, sleep problems, vision disorders, unhealthy weight, diabetes, and alcohol consumption. Among the factors providing the best protection against rapid aging are a high level of education, strong cognitive abilities, and good memory. Physical activity and the ability to move freely are also important. To assess the real level of bodily wear and tear, scientists use the criterion of the “biobehavioral age gap”. This is the difference between a person’s chronological age and the age “modeled” on the basis of medical data. For example, if you are 50 years old, but the model indicates that you are already 60, then the biobehavioral age gap is 10 years. A significant gap is accompanied by a noticeable decline in cognitive functions and in the ability to perform everyday tasks.

IN A “WORLD OF DESPAIR,” PEOPLE AGE FASTER

Recent studies have found that the pace of aging also depends on socio-economic and even political factors. Accelerated aging correlates with restrictions on voting rights and freedoms, unfair elections, low national income, as well as social and gender inequality. Scientists say that vast numbers of people exist in a “world of despair”, where political polarization and uncertainty age people with lightning speed. The fastest rates of aging were recorded by researchers in Egypt and South Africa, while the slowest were found in European countries. Nations of Asia and Latin America fell somewhere in between. If a person’s socio-economic and political environment is stress-inducing, it has an extremely negative effect on the body, accelerating aging. The scientists’ conclusion is that state policy should be adapted to the factors that most strongly contribute to aging in each specific country. Measures to protect people from premature aging, they argue, should be taken at the governmental level.

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