Human beings age constantly, but each organ does so at its own pace, according to a study by a scientific team led by Chinese experts published in the journal Cell Reports echoed by the official Xinhua news agency.
The biological age of different organs is not necessarily in sync, according to the research, which also noted that “every person’s aging patterns are different.”
The scientists cited as an example a “diverse intestinal flora”, which is a symptom of healthy intestines but which makes the kidneys work harder, which could accelerate their ageing.
The inconsistencies between the organs point to “the existence of multiple clocks” in the human body.
The study involved 4,066 volunteers in the southern city of Shenzhen between the ages of 20 and 45 who provided stool and blood samples and skin images of their faces and underwent tests to assess their fitness.
The researchers measured 403 characteristics and associated them with nine categories: heart, kidneys, liver, sex, facial skin, nutrition, immunity, fitness and intestinal flora.
Later, they developed a system to evaluate the aging of each system of the body in relation to the rest, after which they could determine if the subject had aged more than his age or less.
The scientists found that some of the overweight individuals have a more marked aging in their metabolism and fitness, while others have a faster rate of decline in their livers.
This finding “could indicate that overweight and obesity have different causes among individuals.”
The study’s findings could be used “to improve health status with targeted interventions” and “to slow future aging.”
Source: Gestion
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