New research has confirmed what many of us feel – that things start to change around age 50. Scientists have found that the human body’s ageing process accelerates during this period, with major shifts occurring between the ages of 45 and 55.
The study, led by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Sichuan University, analysed 516 tissue samples from 76 individuals aged 14 to 68. It found that different organs and tissues age at different rates, with blood vessels being among the first and most vulnerable to ageing.
“Temporal analysis revealed an ageing inflection around age 50, with blood vessels being a tissue that ages early and is markedly susceptible to ageing,” the authors wrote in their paper.
The team developed detailed “age clocks” for different tissues based on protein changes – building a comprehensive proteomic atlas of human ageing. They discovered significant structural and molecular changes in many organs after age 50, particularly in the aorta, which is critical for heart health.
The researchers also identified 48 disease-related proteins that increase with age. These proteins were linked to conditions such as:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Tissue fibrosis
- Fatty liver disease
- Liver-related cancers
Interestingly, previous research has shown that the body’s ageing may accelerate in two distinct waves – either around ages 34 and 60, or 44 and 60 – with different biological processes involved in each stage.
While ageing is inevitable, researchers agree there’s a lot we can do to slow it down. Regular exercise, a nutritious diet, and effective stress management remain powerful tools to support healthy ageing.
The authors hope their findings will lead to new strategies to protect vulnerable organs and help manage age-related disease.
“These insights may facilitate the development of targeted interventions for ageing and age-related diseases, paving the way to improve the health of older adults,” the team concluded.