A team of researchers from Stanford University published in the journal Nature Medicine an exhaustive work on the internal processes of human deterioration and the biological times of the organism. The analysis of samples from more than 4,000 participants allowed us to establish precise chronologies of cellular wear and tear.
Scientists managed to divide the aging process into three clear stages after monitoring plasma proteins. The initial turning point is located at 34 yearsmoment in which the subject begins to show changes linked to a deterioration in their physical condition. From that threshold, the first phase was classified as adulthood, which It extends up to 60 years.
The second stage, called late maturity, covers the period between 60 and 78 years old. Finally, old age itself begins from the 78 years and older. In each of these strata, the protein components go from constant levels to a slow decrease until they are no longer produced. This phenomenon responds to the low repair capacity of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) with advancing age.
The fundamental role of proteins in diagnosis
The analysis focused on plasma from 4,263 donors between the ages of 18 and 95. Tony Wyss-Coray, author of the article and participant in the research, pointed out the critical importance of these biological elements in determining the real age of the body. “Proteins are the workhorses of the body’s constituent cells and when their relative levels undergo substantial changes, it means that you have changed too,” said the expert.
The alteration or substantial decrease in these levels marks the passage of time in the body internally. The study identified 1,379 proteins that vary by age after examining more than 3,000 different types in each individual. With just 373 of them it was enough to predict the age of the participants. Likewise, the specialist explained that after 9 or 10 proteins, adding more improves the prediction accuracy just a little more.
Physical signs and the age gap in organs
Plasma proteins also indicated the state of vital organs. For each individual, the aging model produces an “age gap,” a measure that establishes that person’s biological age relative to other peers of the same chronological age based on their molecular profile.
Wyss-Coray explained the defining marks of old age that were repeated as a pattern in the study subjects. These include the slowing down of metabolism, the weakening of bone structure, the modification of sleep patterns and the decrease in vision and hearing. Spots, wrinkles, loss of muscle mass and slower mobility also appear. Nature magazine highlighted that aging produces a deterioration in the structure and function of tissues throughout the body.
