Share:
Biological age So you stay younger than you are
People who were born on the same day are often very differently fit in advanced age. Often this shows up at an early age. The decisive factor is the so-called "biological age", which describes the individual's physical condition and state of health. Researchers from the USA have now presented interesting findings.
The biological age differs early
Very few people express themselves positively about the elderly. Every year more "under your belt" increases the physical discomfort. But the aging process seems to be very different. For many people born the same day, you can not see that they are the same age. The aging process was and is the focus of numerous scientific studies. For example, a few months ago researchers from Göttingen announced that sport keeps the brain young. Other studies have looked at how cells get younger again. And now, American researchers are reporting new interesting findings about aging. Accordingly, the biological age differs already at a young age.
This is how the rejuvenation works. Image: Khorzhevska - fotolia Some people hardly seem to age
In cooperation with the "Sonntagszeitung" from Switzerland the "Welt" reports online about the study, which was published in the journal "PNAS". Some of the study participants did not seem to age at all over a twelve-year period, while others aged two to three times faster. The so-called "biological age" of the pass 38-year-olds varied from 28 to 61. The scientists around Daniel Belsky from Duke University in Durham (USA) investigated the aging process in young people. For this purpose, the team used data from a large population study of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. In this long-term survey, more than 1,000 persons were examined from birth in 1972 or 1973 regularly until their 38th year of life.
Physical fitness and cognitive skills
18 biomarkers such as cholesterol, liver and kidney values, blood pressure, heart and dental health were evaluated. The researchers also assessed physical fitness, weight and cognitive abilities. According to Belsky, it was unexpected how significantly the biomarkers already changed in young and healthy people due to their age. It also showed that subjects who physiologically aged faster also performed worse in other areas. So they could keep the balance less well in fitness tests and moved more uncoordinated. In addition, they completed cognitive tasks worse. Not least, they looked older.
Typical geriatric diseases for over 65s
With increasing age, the health risks increase. Thus, from around the age of 50, typical age-related diseases increase. As the "World" writes, more than 70 percent of over-65s suffer from two or more chronic illnesses, including arthritis, diabetes, cancer, heart problems, and strokes. US researchers reported last year in the journal "Nature" that if it succeeds in delaying a single chronic disease, then others have failed. Research has already found evidence of how the various aging processes could be delayed. Thus, among other things, a reduced calorie intake and regular exercise could extend life and prevent disease.
Positive attitude to life extends life
Even though there is no simple guide to a long life, people who are well-trained are relatively "younger" than unsportsmanlike peers. The conclusion was drawn by medical scientist Ulrik Wisløff from the University of NTNU in Trondheim (Norway), who, with his team of complicated algorithms, developed a simple questionnaire that allows researchers to assess how healthy a person is and what their "fitness age" is , Doctors typically determine a person's physical performance by measuring how much oxygen they can maximize when exposed to exercise. The Norwegian scientists found that age, waist circumference, self-reported physical fitness, and heart rate at rest can also be used as approximations for objective measurements. Another online test calculates the risk of death.
It was developed by Swedish researchers based on the data from the so-called "UK Biobank". The gerontologist Mike Martin from the University of Zurich wants to work with an interdisciplinary team to find out why someone stays healthy and not why someone gets sick. He suspects: "Not only medical factors are crucial." It also plays a role in how people are socially involved. Or the attitude to life. A positive attitude slows down aging, explained the Jena aging researcher Christoph Englert in an interview last year. A universal recipe for how to stay healthy for the next few years, according to experts, but not. (Ad)