NICE Newsroom

A recent Stanford Research Study suggests that aging occurs in at least two accelerated bursts rather than a slow and steady process.

The study tracked thousands of molecules in people aged 25 to 75. It detected two significant waves of age-related changes at around age 44 and again at 60.

“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.”

The pattern aligns with previous evidence that the risk of many age-related diseases does not increase gradually, with Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease risk sharply increasing after the age of 60.

Previous research suggested that a later spike in aging may occur around the age of 78, but the Stanford study could not confirm this because the oldest participants were 75.

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