Middle-aged health problems are not uncommon but can be frustrating and debilitating. But thanks to constantly updated research, there is growing understanding of what causes mid-life physical decline.
A new study published in Nature Aging on August 14 indicates what may cause the sudden downward spiral in physical health. Researchers said that microorganisms and molecules on the inside and outside of the human body undergo significant change at certain points in the middle of one’s life.
Initial changes are to these physical properties appear around 44 years old, returning again at age 60. Such changes could be the culprit for major shifts in the body’s immune system and cardiovascular system. The data from the study stems from blood samples analyzed by scientists at Stanford.
The samples were collected over multiple years from 108 volunteers between the ages of 25 to 75. Michael Snyder, the lead author of the study who teaches at Stanford’s Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, noted the importance of the two times when “things really shift.” He added that the lipid metabolism—regarding the reaction with fatty substances—changes when people are in their 40s and carbohydrates metabolism changes in the 60s.
The data monitored by Stanford scientists included many types of molecules, such as proteins, microbiomes, and RNA. They found metabolic shifts which showed that the body changes the way it breaks down food over time, rather than a slowing down of calorie burning once people reach their 40s. It also confirms previous research that shows the amount of energy used at rest, also known as the metabolic rate, is unchanging between the ages of 20 and 60.
The changes in the 60s were unsurprising since there are higher risks of disease in that time frame, Snyder noted. However, he did say that the mid-40s changes occurring as frequently in men and women are.
His co-author Xiaotao Shen explained that this suggests the possibility of “more significant factors” influencing the shifts seen in men and women once they reach their 60s. Shen added that these characteristics “should be a priority” for research conducted in the future.
