Not just botox and lifting: aging can be slowed down

No one can stop the aging of their body, writes Der Spiegel . By changing lifestyle, anyone can slow down the rate at which it happens. How differently a person gets older is especially evident at alumni meetings. Someone already suffers from a bunch of diseases. Others are in great physical shape and look 15 years younger.

Geneticist Michael Snyder from Stanford University School of Medicine studied the phenomenon of aging at the biochemical level and found that age-related changes occur in four types. Types of aging are associated with certain organs and systems of the body - with metabolism, the immune system, liver and kidneys. New data allow not only to make a prediction of aging for each individual, but also to help him successfully resist the influence of age.

The scientist says that the new classification will allow "to determine for each person the risk factors for his health and to identify in advance the organs and systems in the body that may become problematic in the future."

The study is published in the journal Nature Medicine . Scientists observed for a long time a group of subjects, consisting of 109 people aged 29 to 75 years, who at the time of the beginning of the experiment had no serious illness. They regularly analyzed blood, urine and feces and determined bacteria from the nasopharynx. For each participant in the experiment, information was collected on 10343 genes, 368 blood proteins, 722 metabolic products and 6009 microorganisms found in the body. Researchers have observed changes in these data over time.

After 3.5 years of observation, scientists have found that each person has a unique molecular biological profile that changes in a certain way over time. Based on this, they identified 4 types of aging. In one group of subjects, changes occurred in the metabolism, in the other - in the immune system, in the third and fourth - in the liver and kidneys, respectively.

Subjects from the metabolic group over time increased the content of a certain type of hemoglobin, which affects the level of sugar in the blood, which leads to the onset of type 2 diabetes. In those aging by the immune type, the number of markers of inflammation in the blood increased.

"It's like in cars," says Michael Snyder. - "Every year the car needs repair. Some have a weak point - the engine, while others - the gearbox."

Most people don't even notice at first that they are getting old. But with a series of analyzes led by Snyder's researchers, markers of aging can be identified in the early stages.

But the most important takeaway from his work is that aging can be resisted, he says. People with immune system problems can slow down the passage of time if they increase their physical activity. People whose liver determines their biological age have the opportunity to check it more often than it should be now. Renal type eaters should monitor and increase fluid intake.

There has been no clear criteria for aging in gerontology until now, says Daniel Belsky, an epidemiologist at Columbia University in New York . By understanding the triggers that affect the rate of aging, it is possible to prevent aging diseases and enable people to live healthier longer.

Snyder's research shows that in some cases, the aging process can be reversed and the body rejuvenated. This was due to the fact that they changed their eating habits, lost weight and played sports.

Of course, these guidelines are not new. But if every person can be shown that a change in lifestyle leads to a change in the body at the biochemical level, additional motivation will appear.

The geneticist himself, who was born in 1955, participated in his research as a test subject. From it, he learned that in his case it was impossible to clearly distinguish the aging group to which he belongs. Moreover, its chronological age corresponds to its biological one. Snyder considered himself a sports person, but it became obvious that this physical activity was not enough for rejuvenation.

Therefore, the scientist began to intensively develop the muscles. He hopes this will help reduce biological age and is looking forward to new results.