Health
Aging speeds up 'massively' at two points in one's lifetime, Stanford study finds: ‘Abrupt changes’
Aging may not be quite as gradual as it seems.
A new study from Stanford University in California has revealed that there are two periods when aging seems to accelerate.
These two spurts tend to occur around age 44 and again at age 60, the study found.
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In the study, 108 participants ranging from 25 to 75 years old gave blood and biological samples over the course of several years, according to a Stanford University press release.
A new study from Stanford University in California has revealed that there are two periods when aging seems to accelerate. (iStock)
The researchers analyzed more than 135,000 molecules and microorganisms (bacteria, viruses and fungi), finding that most of them don’t change in a “gradual, chronological fashion.”
“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, in the release.
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“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 findings were published in the journal Nature Aging last month.
For those in their 60s, age-related changes tend to impact the organs and immune system, according to a doctor. (iStock)
Dr. Brittany Ferri, a New York-based occupational therapist with the National Council on Aging, agreed that aging doesn’t always happen steadily.
“Big changes can happen at certain points in your life,” Ferri, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “People tend to experience shifts that will impact their health going forward.”
“Certain phases will bring noticeable shifts in how the body functions.”
In their 40s, people are likely to face more stress or make lifestyle changes that could affect their well-being, and by the 60s, age-related changes will impact the organs and immune system, according to Ferri.
“With aging happening in distinct stages, certain phases will bring noticeable shifts in how the body functions,” she added.
The aging-health connection
These “abrupt changes” can have an impact on people’s health as they age, the study found.
“During your 40s and 60s, key molecules and microbes related to heart health and the immune system change considerably,” Ferri told Fox News Digital after reviewing the findings.
“In your 40s, changes in molecules that affect how your body processes fats and alcohol could raise your risk of heart disease if they’re not managed well,” she went on.
“In your 60s, shifts in your immune system can make you more prone to age-related health problems.”
The researchers noted that they were not surprised by the shift in the early 60s, as this is a time when age-related diseases and conditions tend to emerge. (iStock)
The researchers noted that they were not surprised by the shift in the early 60s, as this is a time when age-related diseases and conditions tend to emerge.
The surge in the mid-40s, however, was not expected. While they initially thought this shift was due to menopause or perimenopause in women, they realized it was also occurring for men at that age.
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“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,” first author Xiaotao Shen, PhD, a former Stanford Medicine postdoctoral scholar, said in the release.
“Identifying and studying these factors should be a priority for future research.”
The researchers emphasized the importance of healthy behaviors, like regular exercise and proper nutrition, to counteract the aging spurts. (iStock)
The main limitation is that these changes could be caused by lifestyle or behavioral factors that tend to emerge in the 40s and 60s, Snyder acknowledged.
Looking ahead, the team plans to conduct further research into these aging spurts.
“I’m a big believer that we should try to adjust our lifestyles while we’re still healthy.”
They also emphasized the importance of healthy behaviors to counteract these changes.
“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,” the researchers wrote.
For those in their 40s, it’s important to eat healthy, manage stress, and cut back on alcohol to support the changes in metabolism and heart health, a doctor advised. (iStock)
Added Snyder, “I’m a big believer that we should try to adjust our lifestyles while we’re still healthy.”
For those in their 40s, it’s important to eat healthy, manage stress, and cut back on alcohol to support the changes in metabolism and heart health, according to Ferri.
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“In your 60s, try to focus on staying active to help boost your immune system and stay at a healthy weight,” she recommended.
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The Stanford study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Stanford Data Science Initiative.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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Feeling lonely may take a toll on older adults’ memory — but it may not speed up cognitive decline, according to a new study.
Researchers from Colombia, Spain and Sweden analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries and found those who reported higher levels of loneliness did worse on memory tests at the start of the study, according to research published this month in the journal Aging & Mental Health.
Over a seven-year period, however, memory decline occurred at a similar rate regardless of how lonely participants felt.
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“The finding that loneliness significantly impacted memory, but not the speed of decline in memory over time was a surprising outcome,” lead author Dr. Luis Carlos Venegas-Sanabria of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario said in a statement.
Loneliness may be linked to memory performance in older adults, a new study suggests. (iStock)
“It suggests that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its progressive decline,” Venegas-Sanabria said, adding that the findings highlight the importance of addressing loneliness as a factor in cognitive performance.
The findings add to debate about whether loneliness contributes to dementia risk. While loneliness and social isolation are often considered risk factors for cognitive decline, research results have been mixed.
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The study looked at data from the long-running Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), which tracked 10,217 older adults between 2012 and 2019. Participants were asked to recall words immediately and after a delay to measure memory performance.
Social isolation and loneliness could play a surprising role in cognitive health among seniors. (iStock)
Loneliness was assessed using three questions about how often participants felt isolated, left out or lacking companionship.
About 8% of participants reported high levels of loneliness at the outset. That group tended to be older, more likely to be female and more likely to have conditions such as depression.
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Researchers found that those with higher loneliness had lower scores on both immediate and delayed memory tests at baseline. Still, all groups — regardless of loneliness level — experienced similar declines in memory over time.
The results suggest loneliness may not directly accelerate the progression of memory loss, though it remains linked to poorer cognitive performance overall.
Researchers look at a brain scan at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Experts warn, however, that the findings should not be interpreted to mean loneliness is harmless.
“The finding that lonely older adults start with worse memory but don’t decline faster is actually the most interesting part of the paper, and I think it’s easy to misread,” said Jordan Weiss, Ph.D., a scientific advisor and aging expert at Assisted Living Magazine and a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
“It likely means loneliness does its damage earlier in life, well before people show up in a study like this at 65-plus,” Weiss told Fox News Digital.
By older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold, an aging expert says. (iStock)
He suggested that by older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold.
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“By the time you’re measuring someone in their late 60s, decades of social connection patterns are already baked in,” he said.
Weiss, who was not involved in the research, added that loneliness may coincide with other health conditions, and noted that participants who felt more isolated also had higher rates of depression, high-blood pressure and diabetes. The link, he said, may reflect a cluster of health risks rather than a direct cause.
“While they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia,” a psychotherapist says. (iStock)
Amy Morin, a Florida-based psychotherapist and author, said the findings reflect a broader pattern in research on loneliness and brain health, and that the relationship may be more complex than it appears.
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“The evidence shows there’s a link between loneliness and cognitive decline but there’s no direct evidence of a cause and effect relationship,” she said. “So while they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia.”
Morin added that loneliness, which can fluctuate, may not be the root of the problem, but rather a symptom of other underlying mental or physical health issues.
Researchers suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging. (iStock)
She said staying socially and mentally engaged is crucial for overall brain health.
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“It’s important to be proactive about social activities,” Morin said. “Joining a book club, having coffee with a friend, or attending faith-based services can be a powerful way to maintain connections in older age.”
The researchers also suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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Research continues to uncover new details on how fasting may help extend life.
A new study published in the journal Nature Communications investigated how intermittent fasting can boost longevity in small worms often used in aging research.
Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas compared worms that were fed normally to those that underwent a 24-hour fast in early adulthood and were then fed again, according to a press release.
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The scientists measured a variety of factors, including stored fat, gene activity related to fat metabolism and lifespan.
The results showed that the life-boosting benefit did not depend on the fasting itself but on the body’s behavior after eating again.
Experts say sustainability is key when choosing a long-term weight-loss strategy. (iStock)
Study lead Peter Douglas, associate professor of molecular biology and a member of the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine at UT Southwestern, suggested that these discoveries “shift the focus toward a neglected side of the metabolic coin – the re-feeding phase.”
“Our data suggest that the health-promoting effects of intermittent fasting are not merely a product of the fast itself, but are dependent on how the metabolic machinery recalibrates during the subsequent transition back to a fed state,” he said.
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“Our findings bridge a gap between lipid metabolism and aging research,” he added. “By targeting aging, the single greatest risk factor for human disease, we move beyond treating isolated conditions toward a preventive model of medicine that enhances quality of life for all individuals.”
Lauri Wright, director of nutrition programs at the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health, called this a “high-quality” study that adds an “important nuance to how we think about fasting and longevity.”
Intermittent fasting typically involves limiting meals to an eight-hour daily window or fasting every other day. (iStock)
The benefits of the refeeding phase after fasting were “especially interesting,” Wright, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“The researchers showed that longevity was linked to the body’s ability to turn off fat breakdown after fasting, allowing cells to restore energy balance,” she reiterated.
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“From a scientific standpoint, that’s a meaningful shift because it suggests fasting is not just about burning fat, but about metabolic flexibility.”
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Fasting may support longevity through triggering metabolic switching, enhancing cellular repair and stress resistance and improving markers like insulin sensitivity, research shows.
Limitations and cautions
Although this study provides “important insight” on the power of refeeding, Wright noted that the findings should be approached with caution, as the study was done on worms and cannot always be translated to humans.
“Additionally, it explains how a process might work in a controlled lab condition rather than real-world eating behaviors,” she added as a limitation. “Finally, the study is short-term and doesn’t give us the long-term translation on lifespan outcomes.”
The review found intermittent fasting was barely more effective than doing nothing, according to the study authors. (iStock)
Wright cautioned that fasting is “not a magic solution for longevity, and how you eat overall matters more than when you eat.”
“I advise, first and foremost, to focus on diet quality, including a variety of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and minimally processed foods,” she said.
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For those who are considering fasting, it’s better to stick with a moderate plan — like a 12- to 14-hour overnight fast — rather than going to extremes, Wright said. After fasting, she recommends focusing on well-balanced meals.
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Several groups of people should be cautioned against fasting, according to Wright, including those with diabetes who are on insulin or hypoglycemic medications, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, anyone with a history of eating disorders and older adults at risk of malnutrition.
Anyone considering intermittent fasting should consult with a doctor before starting.
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