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Time of India
6 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Is chronic inflammation really linked with age? A new study challenges the idea of inflammaging
Is chronic inflammation universal as we age, or is it a modern lifestyle issue? For decades, scientists have linked ageing with "inflammaging," a low-grade chronic inflammation believed to drive diseases like heart disease, dementia, and diabetes. However, a new study published in Nature Aging challenges this long-standing view. By comparing populations from both industrialised and traditional societies, researchers found that inflammation does not necessarily increase with age in all groups. The study suggests that factors such as physical activity, diet and environmental exposure may influence inflammation in later life, offering a fresh perspective on healthy ageing and disease prevention. Inflammaging may not be universal: What new research reveals about ageing and lifestyle The study examined inflammation patterns in more than 2,800 individuals across four distinct communities. Two of these groups, older adults from Italy and Singapore, represented typical industrialised societies. The other two were Indigenous populations with more traditional lifestyles: the Tsimane of the Bolivian Amazon and the Orang Asli of Malaysia. 12 Daily Habits That Can Harm Your Health Researchers focused on a group of signalling proteins called cytokines, which are key indicators of immune activity and inflammation. Previous studies have shown that certain inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein and tumour necrosis factor, increase with age and correlate with chronic disease risk. The goal was to see whether this pattern held true across different populations. The findings were revealing. Among the Italian and Singaporean participants, the researchers observed a consistent inflammaging pattern. As age increased, so did levels of inflammatory markers, which were strongly linked to a higher risk of chronic illnesses like cardiovascular and kidney disease. In contrast, among the Tsimane and Orang Asli, this pattern was absent. Despite facing high exposure to infections and elevated inflammatory markers due to their environment, these communities showed no consistent age-related rise in inflammation and reported very low rates of the chronic diseases common in industrialised nations. Does everyone age with inflammation? Study finds traditional lifestyles may protect against inflammaging These results suggest that inflammaging may not be a universal feature of human ageing, but rather a phenomenon tied to specific lifestyle and environmental conditions. In modern societies, factors such as sedentary behaviour, processed diets, and limited exposure to pathogens may contribute to a persistent, low-grade immune response that becomes harmful over time. In contrast, traditional communities, who remain physically active, consume natural diets, and are exposed to a broader range of infections, may have immune systems that operate differently. In these settings, elevated inflammation may reflect normal immune activity rather than underlying disease. It's also possible that inflammaging does occur across all humans but manifests in ways not detectable through current blood-based markers. Inflammation might be taking place at the tissue or cellular level, beyond the reach of standard diagnostic tools. Chronic inflammation and ageing: Why your lifestyle might matter more than your age If confirmed, these findings could reshape our understanding of ageing and influence how we diagnose and manage age-related inflammation. Current diagnostic tools, based on data from European and Asian populations, may not be universally applicable. What signals disease in one population might be normal in another. This also raises important considerations for treatment strategies. Interventions like anti-inflammatory drugs, exercise regimes, or specialised diets may yield varying results depending on cultural, genetic, and environmental backgrounds. A one-size-fits-all approach to managing inflammation in ageing may not be effective globally. Furthermore, the study highlights a broader issue in medical research: much of what we know about human health is based on data from wealthy, industrialised nations. Applying these findings globally can lead to oversimplified or inaccurate conclusions. The researchers emphasise the need for more diverse, inclusive studies that reflect the full range of human experiences and environments. This research offers a powerful reminder that biology does not operate in isolation from lifestyle and environment. What we have long accepted as an inevitable part of ageing might actually be a consequence of how we live. As the researchers note, this is just the beginning. Further studies are needed to explore inflammation at the cellular level and to broaden the diversity of populations included in ageing research. At the very least, the study challenges a long-held assumption and opens the door to a more nuanced, globally informed understanding of how we age. Also Read: Is stress causing your neck pain? Simple tips to find relief
News18
22-07-2025
- Health
- News18
Is 60 The New 30? Here's What Scientists Say About Ageing
Last Updated: Scientific research shows old age now begins later. With longer lifespans, 60 is no longer the end, it's the new middle of life The very concept of old age is evolving. Once considered to begin at around 55 or 60, largely tied to retirement, declining health, and rising illness, old age is now being redefined by science and society. In the 20th century, with average life expectancy between 60 and 65 in industrial nations, the age of 60 was often seen as life's final chapter. But that's no longer the case. Longer Lives, Later Ageing According to the World Economic Forum, by 2030, one in three children born in developed countries could live to be 100. In this context, age 60 is not the end, but the midpoint of life. A 2021 study published in Nature Aging asserts that ageing should not be measured by years, but by biological condition. Similarly, The Lancet's 2022 report indicates that in countries such as Japan, where average life expectancy exceeds 84, old age now begins closer to 70 or later. Biological Age vs Chronological Age Modern science places increasing emphasis on biological age, the actual condition of the body, over mere numbers. Two people aged 60 can have vastly different physical and cognitive health. With regular exercise, proper diet, and stress management, some 60-year-olds can enjoy the health of someone 15 years younger. A 2017 study in The Lancet The phrase '60 is the new 30" is no longer hyperbole. Today's 60-year-olds often maintain lifestyles as active as people half their age. Many continue with gym routines, trekking, yoga, or professional pursuits. Retirement is no longer an endpoint, but often a pivot toward consultancy, investment, or second careers. This shift, however, is more noticeable in urban settings than rural ones. Ageing With A Growth Mindset Increasingly, age is seen as just a number. A widely accepted theory suggests that lifelong mental activity keeps the brain agile well into later years. Many older adults today adopt a growth mindset by continuously learning, remaining curious, and tackling challenges with enthusiasm. India's New Perspective On Ageing In India, bodies like NITI Aayog and the National Health Mission are beginning to treat the elderly as self-reliant citizens. Media and advertising reflect this changing image, featuring energetic 60+ icons like Amitabh Bachchan, Neena Gupta, Anupam Kher, and Rajinikanth as symbols of vitality and relevance. Key Drivers Behind Ageing Well After 60 Several modern factors help people remain fit and active well into their 60s and beyond: Better healthcare & lifestyle: Access to timely medical care, regular physical activity, healthy diets, and adequate sleep help preserve health. Anti-ageing habits: Skincare routines, hydration, and sun protection can slow visible signs of ageing. Nutritional awareness: Diets rich in omega-3s (e.g., flaxseeds, chia seeds, and oily fish) reduce inflammation and support brain, heart, and joint health. Stress management: Practices like yoga, meditation, and mindfulness promote mental wellness and lower the impact of stress on the body. Increased awareness: Today's seniors are more informed, proactive, and health-conscious, often seeking guidance to maintain youthfulness. First Published: July 22, 2025, 12:48 IST News lifestyle Is 60 The New 30? Here's What Scientists Say About Ageing Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Brain scans could reveal your true biological age
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scientists can now judge how fast your whole body is aging based on a single snapshot of your brain, researchers claim in a new study. The scientists, who published their findings July 1 in the journal Nature Aging, have developed a benchmark of biological aging based on brain MRIs. The team says the tool can predict an individual's future risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, chronic conditions like heart disease, physical frailty and early death. "Our paper presents a new way of measuring how fast a person is aging at any given moment using the information available in a single brain MRI," said first author Ahmad Hariri, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. "Faster aging increases our risk for many diseases including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and dementia," he told Live Science in an email. Hariri and colleagues used data from the Dunedin Study, which followed 1,037 people from Dunedin, New Zealand, from birth to middle age. These participants, born in 1972 and 1973, periodically received 19 assessments to check the function of their heart, brain, liver, kidneys and more. To develop their tool, the team analyzed the brain MRIs taken from this cohort at age 45 and ran the data about brain structure — the volume and thickness of various brain regions and the ratio of white to gray matter — through a machine learning algorithm. They compared the processed brain data to other data collected from the participants at the same time, such as tests of physical and cognitive decline, subjective health statuses, and signs of facial aging, like wrinkles. They asserted that bigger declines in those areas were tied to a faster pace of aging, overall, and then correlated features of the brain data to those metrics. They called their resulting model "Dunedin Pace of Aging Calculated from Neuroimaging," or DunedinPACNI. Related: Epigenetics linked to the maximum life spans of mammals Previously, the team created a similar tool called Dunedin Pace of Aging Calculated from the Epigenome (DunedinPACE). That metric looked at methylation — chemical tags that attach to DNA molecules — in blood samples to estimate people's pace of aging. Methylation is a type of "epigenetic change," meaning it alters genes activity without changing DNA's underlying code. "[DunedinPACE] has been widely adopted by studies with available epigenetic data," Hariri said. "DunedinPACNI now allows studies without epigenetic data but with brain MRI to measure accelerated aging." The researchers directly compared DunedinPACNI to DunedinPACE, finding that they generated similar results. To see if their new tool could be useful beyond Dunedin, the team used it to estimate the pace of aging using MRIs in other datasets: 42,000 MRIs from the U.K. Biobank; over 1,700 MRIs from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI); and 369 from the BrainLat set, which includes data from five South American countries. "Making sure our findings generalize across datasets and demographic groups is a big priority for brain imaging research," study co-author Ethan Whitman, a doctoral student at Duke, told Live Science in an email. They found that DunedinPACNI could also estimate the rate of aging in these other cohorts, and that it did so as accurately as other measures used in the past. The U.K. Biobank and ADNI also include measures of specific health effects of aging, including tests of physical frailty, like grip strength and walking speed, as well as rates of heart attack, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and death from all causes within the cohorts. Using these additional measures, the team was able to link faster aging rates, as determined with DunedinPACNI, with increased risks of heart attack, stroke, COPD and death. Hariri believes DunedinPACNI has the potential to be widely adopted because the type of MRIs it uses are routinely collected. Now it's a matter of crunching the data and determining standards of what reflects "healthy" and "poor" aging, he said. "The fact that it worked well with the BrainLat data is a big win for the investigators because it supports the generalizability of the model,' said Dr. Dan Henderson, a primary care physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital and instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who was not involved with the study. "It would still be worth looking at other data sets where genetic and other factors might be different in important ways," he added. RELATED STORIES —Biological aging may not be driven by what we thought —Taurine is 'not a reliable biomarker of anything yet': Study challenges hype over 'anti-aging' supplement —Doctors say AI model can predict 'biological age' from a selfie — and want to use it to guide cancer treatment Henderson said he could see DunedinPACNI eventually being used in place of conventional health measures to fine-tune medical interventions for individual patients. Whitman also sees broad implications for the research. Assuming it's validated for use by doctors, he thinks it could help patients prepare for age-related health issues before they manifest."We were really amazed that our tool was able to predict disease risk before symptoms had started," Whitman told Live Science in an email. "We think this is a great example of why it's important to study aging in general, but especially in younger, healthy people. If you only study people after they have gotten sick, you're missing a lot of the story." Brain quiz: Test your knowledge of the most complex organ in the body
The Star
16-07-2025
- Health
- The Star
Scientists develop tool to 'tell how fast someone is ageing'
WASHINGTON: Assessing how and why people age differently has long eluded doctors and scientists, particularly when there are no obvious explanations such as illness or history of injury. But a team of researchers at Duke University, Harvard University and the University of Otago believe they could have solved the riddle by developing a brain scan-based tool they say can "tell how fast someone is ageing", be that physically or cognitively. Following a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, the tool "can estimate your risk in midlife for chronic diseases that typically emerge decades later," the developers said, ahead of their findings being published in the journal Nature Aging. "Patterns of ageing detected during midlife are clinically useful among people in advanced age, including people with neurodegenerative disease," the researchers claimed. For older people, the tool can tell them if they are likely to develop dementia or "other age-related diseases," according to the team, which worked with around 50,000 scans from Canada, New Zealand, the UK, the US and countries in Latin America. The system measures blood pressure, body mass index, glucose and cholesterol levels, lung and kidney function, gum recession and tooth decay over time against a scan done when a person is 45 years old. For middle-aged people, the heads-up "could help motivate lifestyle and dietary changes that improve health," while for the elderly, a warning of susceptibility to dementia might mean "a better shot at slowing the course of disease" if given early enough, meaning "years before symptoms appear." "What's really cool about this is that we've captured how fast people are aging using data collected in midlife," said Ahmad Hariri, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University, who claimed the device is helping "predict diagnosis of dementia among people who are much older." – dpa
Indian Express
06-07-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Ageing isn't same everywhere – why inflammation may be lifestyle problem
By Samuel J White and Philippe B Wilson For years, scientists have believed that inflammation inevitably increases with age, quietly fuelling diseases like heart disease, dementia and diabetes. But a new study of Indigenous populations challenges that idea and could reshape how we think about ageing itself. For decades, scientists have identified chronic low-level inflammation – called 'inflammaging' – as one of the primary drivers of age-related diseases. Think of it as your body's immune system stuck in overdrive – constantly fighting battles that don't exist, gradually wearing down organs and systems. But inflammaging might not be a universal feature of ageing after all. Instead, it could be a byproduct of how we live in modern society. The research, published in Nature Aging, compared patterns of inflammation in four very different communities around the world. Two groups were from modern, industrialised societies – older adults living in Italy and Singapore. The other two were Indigenous communities who live more traditional lifestyles: the Tsimane people of the Bolivian Amazon and the Orang Asli in the forests of Malaysia. The researchers analysed blood samples from more than 2,800 people, looking at a wide range of inflammatory molecules, known as cytokines. Their goal was to find out whether a pattern seen in earlier studies – where certain signs of inflammation rise with age and are linked to disease – also appears in other parts of the world. The answer, it turns out, is both yes and no. Among the Italian and Singaporean participants, the researchers found a fairly consistent inflammaging pattern. As people aged, levels of inflammatory markers in the blood, such as C-reactive protein and tumour necrosis factor, rose together. Higher levels were linked to a greater risk of chronic diseases including kidney disease and heart disease. But in the Tsimane and Orang Asli populations, the inflammaging pattern was absent. The same inflammatory molecules did not rise consistently with age, and they were not strongly linked to age-related diseases. In fact, among the Tsimane, who face high rates of infections from parasites and other pathogens, inflammation levels were often elevated. Yet this did not lead to the same rates of chronic diseases that are common in industrialised nations. Despite high inflammatory markers, the Tsimane experience very low rates of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and dementia. These results raise important questions. One possibility is that inflammaging, at least as measured through these blood signals, is not a universal biological feature of ageing. Instead, it may arise in societies marked by high-calorie diets, low physical activity and reduced exposure to infections. In other words, chronic inflammation linked to ageing and disease might not simply result from an inevitable biological process, but rather from a mismatch between our ancient physiology and the modern environment. The study suggests that in communities with more traditional lifestyles – where people are more active, eat differently and are exposed to more infections – the immune system may work in a different way. In these groups, higher levels of inflammation might be a normal, healthy response to their environment, rather than a sign that the body is breaking down with age. Another possibility is that inflammaging may still occur in all humans, but it might appear in different ways that are not captured by measuring inflammatory molecules in the blood. It could be happening at a cellular or tissue level, where it remains invisible to the blood tests used in this research. If these findings are confirmed, they could have significant consequences. First, they challenge how we diagnose and treat chronic inflammation in ageing. Biomarkers used to define inflammaging in European or Asian populations might not apply in other settings, or even among all groups within industrialised nations. Second, they suggest that lifestyle interventions aimed at lowering chronic inflammation, such as exercise, changes in diet, or drugs targeting specific inflammatory molecules, might have different effects in different populations. What works for people living in cities might be unnecessary, or even ineffective, in those living traditional lifestyles. Finally, this research serves as an important reminder that much of our knowledge about human health and ageing comes from studies conducted in wealthy, industrialised nations. Findings from these groups cannot automatically be assumed to apply worldwide. The researchers are clear: this study is just the beginning. They urge scientists to dig deeper, using new tools that can detect inflammation not just in the blood, but within tissues and cells where the real story of ageing may be unfolding. Just as important, they call for more inclusive research that spans the full range of human experience, not just the wealthy, urbanised corners of the world. At the very least, this study offers an important lesson. What we thought was a universal truth about the biology of ageing might instead be a local story, shaped by our environment, lifestyle and the way we live.
