Researchers link changing molecules to health concerns of aging adults

(CN) — It’s not all in your head, or in your aching back and feet: The biological effects of aging are most pronounced in middle-aged adults and rising seniors, according to molecular data collected and analyzed by researchers at Stanford Medicine. 

Dramatic fluctuations in certain molecules and microbiomes among people in their 40s and 60s may influence health and disease risk, and the vulnerabilities can develop rapidly.

But in response, those affected can change their lifestyles and focus on their health to combat or accommodate some of the adjustments, the researchers say in a paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature Aging.

“We’re not just changing gradually over time; there are some really dramatic changes,” senior author Michael Snyder, chair of genetics at Stanford Medicine, said in a statement. “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 researchers followed and collected blood and biological samples from 108 people ranging in age from 25 to 75 for a period of years, tracking changes in molecules related to alcohol, caffeine and lipid metabolism, cardiovascular disease and skin and muscle. They also examined bacteria, viruses and fungi that live inside the body and on the skin and found that their abundance tends to shift rapidly around the ages of 44 and 60. 

Noticeably, molecules related to cardiovascular disease spiked or ebbed at both periods, while those aged 60 and up were more prone to deficiencies in immune function. 

Snyder noted the research was partially inspired by the potential for discoveries on the influences of age-linked diseases such as Alzheimer’s and why risks rise sharply in older age. Researchers tracked more than 135,000 molecules including RNA, proteins and metabolites, as well as changes in the participants’ microbiomes, resulting in more than 250 billion distinct data points.

Tellingly, 81% of all molecules showed “non-linear fluctuations in number” among those in their 40s and 60s.It was among the first studies focusing on how different molecules affect the rate of biological aging.

Still, the large cluster of changes in the mid-40s surprised some of the scientists. Reason would suggest that women affected by menopause may skew the study. But comparing the sexes, they discovered the same shifts among men in their mid-40s.

“This suggests that while menopause or perimenopause may contribute to the changes observed in women in their mid-40s, there are likely other, more significant factors influencing these changes in both men and women,” said former Stanford Medicine postdoctoral scholar and first author of the study Xiaotao Shen in a statement. “Identifying and studying these factors should be a priority for future research.”

Snyder suggested “some changes could be tied to lifestyle or behavioral factors that cluster at these age groups, rather than being driven by biological factors.”

Beyond the paper, the Stanford team plans to explore what drives these clusters of change.

“But whatever their causes, the existence of these clusters points to the need for people to pay attention to their health, especially in their 40s and 60s,” the researchers said. “That could look like increasing exercise to protect your heart and maintain muscle mass at both ages or decreasing alcohol consumption in your 40s as your ability to metabolize alcohol slows.”

“I’m a big believer that we should try to adjust our lifestyles while we’re still healthy,” Snyder said.

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