- New research suggests aging can accelerate suddenly at certain life stages.
- Biological aging is not linear, showing sharp changes at specific milestones in life.
- The study analyzed thousands of molecules and microbiomes from ages 25 to 75.
While aging is often seen as a slow, steady process, new research suggests it can speed up suddenly at certain points in life. According to a recent study on molecular changes in the human body, scientists have identified two major phases where aging significantly accelerates - around the average ages of 44 and 60.
These findings indicate that if you feel like you're aging faster during these stages, it may not be just your imagination. The study highlights how biological aging is not always linear and could involve sharp changes at specific milestones.
According to a news release, researchers assessed many thousands of different molecules in people from age 25 to 75, as well as their microbiomes - the bacteria, viruses and fungi that live inside us and on our skin - and found that the abundance of most molecules and microbes do not shift in a gradual, chronological fashion. Rather, we undergo two periods of rapid change during our life span, averaging around age 44 and age 60. A paper describing these findings was published in the journal Nature Aging in August 2024.
"We're not just changing gradually over time; there are some really dramatic changes," said Michael Snyder, PhD, professor of genetics and the study's senior author. "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."
According to the researchers, these big changes likely impact our health - the number of molecules related to cardiovascular disease showed significant changes at both time points, and those related to immune function changed in people in their early 60s.
