According to an article titled Research Shows Your Body Undergoes ‘Dramatic’ Molecular Changes at Ages 40 and 60 on the UPI website, significant shifts in the body occur during specific life stages.

The article, written by Ernie Mundell, was summarized in Reference News on September 20.

A team from Stanford University has revealed that at around age 45 and in the early 60s, the molecules and microbes essential for maintaining the body undergo substantial changes. Michael Snyder, the study's lead author, explained that human bodies do not change uniformly over time. Instead, there are periods marked by rapid transformations. These peaks in change, Snyder noted, occur at around 45 years old and just after 60, affecting various types of molecules.

The human body requires thousands of molecular types and numerous microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses, to function and thrive. The recent study, published on August 14 in Nature Aging, highlights how these components are dynamic rather than static. The study traced the evolution of molecules and microbes with age, showing significant changes in their composition.

The study's co-authors, Snyder and Xiao Tao Shen, observed that the risks of certain diseases do not increase in a consistent, linear fashion over time. Instead, these risks surge during particular periods. For instance, after age 60, the likelihood of developing conditions such as dementia rises sharply.

Their earlier research had examined the aging of organs, immune systems, and metabolisms in 108 participants. In this new study, the researchers analyzed blood and biological samples from these participants over several years. These samples were collected every few months to track molecular and microbial changes.

The team focused on key molecules, including RNA, specific proteins, and metabolites, as well as participants' microbiomes, which consist of microorganisms living inside and on the body. They identified age-related changes across more than 135,000 types of molecules and microbes, collecting approximately 250 billion data points.

The study found that molecular and microbial shifts were nonlinear in 81% of cases. This means that dramatic changes occurred at specific stages rather than gradually over time. The peaks of these changes were most noticeable at ages 45 and early in the 60s.

Initially, researchers suspected that menopause, which many women experience around age 50, might account for these results. However, they discovered that men also undergo similar changes during this time. According to Shen, this finding suggests that while menopause may contribute to these changes in women, other significant factors influence molecular and microbial shifts in both genders. Investigating these factors will be a key focus for future research. Shen, who conducted the study as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University, is now an assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

Snyder and Shen noted that these molecular and microbial shifts could have profound implications for health. They proposed that many changes might increase the risk of heart disease in individuals in their 40s and 60s. Additionally, some changes could weaken the immune system as people enter their 60s, potentially impairing skin and muscle health, as well as the body's ability to metabolize substances such as alcohol and caffeine.

In their 60s, further changes might impact carbohydrate metabolism and the overall health of the heart, kidneys, and immune system. The researchers emphasized that biological age and chronological age are not always aligned, with some molecular and microbial changes being influenced by external factors rather than genetics. For example, the stress and alcohol consumption common in middle age may alter the molecules responsible for processing alcohol.

The study suggests that adopting a healthy lifestyle is crucial for mitigating the negative effects of these changes. Snyder stressed the importance of making proactive adjustments before the body begins to deteriorate, advocating for early interventions to minimize the harm caused by these transformations in the 40s and 60s.