Accelerated aging occurs when a person’s biological age-the actual condition of their body and organs-exceeds their chronological age.
The body is aging faster than would be expected for someone of that age, often due to factors like genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposures, or disease.
Causes and Risk Factors of accelerated aging.
Lifestyle factors: Poor diet, lack of physical activity, stress, and exposure to environmental toxins can contribute to accelerated aging.
Social and psychological stress: Discrimination, chronic stress, and adverse social factors can increase biological aging and the risk of diseases like cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Genetic and epigenetic changes: Mutations, DNA damage, and changes in gene expression can speed up the aging process.
Signs/Health Impacts of accelerated aging
Early appearance of wrinkles, sagging skin, hair loss, and loss of muscle mass at a younger age than typical.
Increased risk of early-onset cancers, cardiovascular disease, and mortality.
Impaired DNA repair and shortened telomeres, leading to cellular instability and higher cancer risk.
Biological age is often estimated using biomarkers like cholesterol, blood glucose, inflammation markers, and lung function.
Influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.
Higher levels of perceived stress, stressful life events, adverse childhood experiences, and posttraumatic stress disorder are significantly associated with accelerated biological aging.
Stressors can lead to physiological changes that mimic the aging process, such as increased inflammation and cellular senescence.
Epigenetic clocks, which measure biological age based on DNA methylation patterns, have been used to quantify accelerated aging.
Factors such as body mass index, HIV infection, and male sex have been associated with the acceleration of these epigenetic clocks, which in turn correlate with higher risks of mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Socioeconomic factors play a significant role in accelerating aging: Higher poverty levels have been linked to accelerated biological aging, particularly among middle-aged individuals, suggesting that socioeconomic disadvantages can exacerbate the aging process.
In cancer survivors, accelerated aging is often observed due to the long-term effects of cancer treatments, which induce cellular senescence and contribute to chronic diseases and frailty.
Accelerated aging is a multifactorial process influenced by genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, leading to an increased risk of age-related diseases and earlier mortality.