New Study Indicates Adults are Aging Faster and at Increased Risk of Cancer

A new study revealed that adults are aging faster and this is putting them at increased risk of cancer. In recent years, cancer rates among young people have significantly increased and experts have been researching why. A new study suggests a potential cause: younger generations are aging biologically faster than older generations.

As a concept, biological age refers to the state of an individual’s body rather than how long they’ve been alive. The new research suggests that those born in 1965 or later had a higher rate of biological aging than those born prior to that year. Researchers also discovered a link between faster biological aging and the development of early-onset cancers (those diagnosed in people younger than 55).

The findings were presented at an American Association for Cancer Research conference in early April. The findings suggest that interventions to slow biological aging could also prevent early-onset cancers. Screening efforts directed at younger individuals with signs of accelerated aging could help detect and predict cancers early.

How is biological age measured? 

The researchers noted that mounting evidence seems to suggest that younger Americans are aging at an accelerated rate. At the time, researchers were unaware of the link between accelerated aging and early-onset cancer. To examine the link between the two, researchers used data from nearly 150,000 people enrolled in the U.K. Biobank, a large database containing biomedical information on nearly half a million residents of the U.K.

Biological age was calculated by analyzing nine biological markers found in the blood. Those included albumin, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine, C-reactive protein, glucose, mean corpuscular volume, red cell distribution width, white blood cell count, and lymphocyte proportion.

Researchers found that those born after 1965 were 17% more likely to have biological markers that indicate an older biological age than those born between 1950 and 1954.

Can biological aging be slowed down? 

Researchers noted that factors that influence biological age include diet, activity levels, and smoking habits. Healthier choices regarding these factors can likely slow down the aging clock. However, one factor that impacts biological age cannot be modified. That is genetics. Researchers said that scientists are still learning what makes a person genetically predisposed to aging faster. By studying genetic factors, scientists can explain why some people are diagnosed with early-onset cancers despite leading healthy lifestyles.

Researchers examined the link between accelerated biological aging and the risk of developing cancer. The team concluded that the faster a body ages, the higher the odds of developing an early-onset diagnosis of lung, gastrointestinal, and uterine cancers. It also raised the risk of late-onset cancers.

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Source:

health.com/accelerated-aging-cancer-risk-younger-adults-8634021#:~:text=The%20team%20then%20examined%20the,onset%20gastrointestinal%20and%20uterine%20cancers.