People aged mainly between 44 and 60 years old

Most people, entering their mid-40s, may experience uncomfortable symptoms in their bodies, such as getting sick more easily or muscles feeling tighter. weakness When looking in the mirror, someone at that age may notice wrinkles on the face or a sudden pain.

It cannot be denied that people undergo great changes in a series of stages from birth to death. A study shows that aging occurs, in two stages with an average age of 44 years and 60 years.

Research conducted by several researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine, was published in the journal Ancient nature (August, 2024) found thousands of different molecules in 108 volunteers between 25 and 75 years. Volunteers provided blood, stool, and skin, mouth, and nose swabs every few months for one to nearly seven years.

The researchers then evaluated 135,000 different molecules, among others ribonucleic acid (RNA), proteins and metabolites, as well as microbes, such as bacteria, viruses and fungi that live in the intestines and skin of the participants.

The number of molecules and microbes does not seem to change gradually and according to history. However, when the researchers looked at the groups of molecules with the most changes, they found that there were transformations that tended to occur when people were in their mid-40s and early 60s.

“We just don’t adjust defensively over time. “There are very dramatic changes,” said geneticist and director of the Center for Genomics and Medicine at Stanford University and one of the researchers, Michael Snyder, who said from the Guard.

At first, researchers suspected that aging in the mid-40s was due to changes in perimenopause – the transition period women experience as they enter menopause. However, the data suggests that similar changes also occur in men in their mid-40s.

“This shows that while menopause or perimenopause may cause changes in women in their mid-40s, there may be other, more important factors that influence these changes in men and women ,” said another researcher, Xiaotao Shen, as reported by. the Guard.

In the first wave of changes – in the mid-40s – there were molecules linked to cardiovascular diseases and the ability to metabolize caffeine, alcohol, and lipids. Lipids themselves are fatty substances, including low density lipoproteins (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides, which can perform several functions in the body, but can be dangerous if they accumulate in the blood. The second wave of changes – in the 60s – includes molecules involved in immune regulation, carbohydrate metabolism, and kidney function.

Call Science Alertabout 81% of all molecules in the study showed changes in one or two levels. The first peak in age, in the mid-40s, usually occurs when women begin menopause or perimenopause, but the researchers did not exclude this as a major factor. Because men also undergo major molecular changes at the same age.

Previous research, called the Guardian, suggests that there may be a spike in age around age 78. However, Snyder et al’s research could not confirm this as the oldest participant was 75 a year old.

However, this pattern is consistent with previous evidence that the risk of many age-related diseases does not increase gradually, with the risk of Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease showing a sharp increase from after the age of 60 years. It is also possible that some changes are related to lifestyle or behavior. For example, changes in alcohol metabolism could be the result of increased consumption in the mid-40s – which can be a difficult time in life.

In addition, reported from NBC Newsthe metabolic changes found by researchers show that someone in their 40s does not burn calories more slowly, but that the body breaks down food in a different way.

According to the Director of the Optimal Aging Institute at NYU Grossman, Josef Coresh, the strength of this research is the level of detail found in the molecular changes. “However, it will take time for us to sort out the meaning of individual changes and how we can adapt treatment to these changes,” said Coresh, quoted from NBC News.

“We know that the onset of many diseases occurs in middle age when people are in their 40s, although they can occur decades later.”

At the same time, according to professor of pathology and cell biology at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, Lori Zeltser, this research is an important step forward. “Although we still don’t know what the effects of these metabolic changes will be,” Zeltser said, as reported by NBC News.

“Now, let’s face it, we metabolize food differently in our 40s.