Scientists reveal the age that your body starts to age rapidly

It's earlier than you'd expect...

A new study suggests that the body does not age evenly across all organs, and one system in particular appears to act as a catalyst and sets off a chain reaction of decline, affecting the rest of the body.

Researchers in China analysed 516 tissue samples from 76 organ donors, all ranging from age 14 to 68 who had died from accidental traumatic brain injuries.

Samples from multiple biological systems, including cardiovascular, immune, digestive, endocrine and skin tissue, were all examined.

The team used advanced protein-level analysis and identified 48 proteins strongly linked to disease.

Such proteins became more pronounced with age and were tied to serious conditions like cardiovascular disease, liver fibrosis, fatty liver disease and tumors.

Furthermore, the results showed that not all organs age at the same pace; however, protein changes in the adrenal gland (hormonal powerhouse) were observed as early as age 30.

New research has revealed that the most dramatic shifts in ageing happen between the ages of 45 and 55, right around that classic midlife mark.

That’s when certain proteins start ramping up in a big way, which triggers what scientists call an 'ageing inflection point'.

The biggest changes happen in the aorta, the body’s largest artery, which plays a crucial role in pumping oxygen-rich blood from your heart to the rest of you.

When it starts to go downhill, the knock-on effects can be serious.

The researchers explained: “Temporal analysis revealed an ageing inflection around age 50, with blood vessels being a tissue that ages early and is markedly susceptible to ageing.”

One protein in particular, called GAS6, stood out. Its levels shoot up in the aorta as we age, and scientists reckon it could be playing a key role in how ageing spreads through the entire body.

Guanghui Liu, the lead researcher from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, described blood vessels as a kind of 'conduit' which is basically a speedy motorway for ageing molecules.

The findings suggest that ageing happens not all at onces but in waves, and experts caution against drawing firm conclusions about exact 'breaking points'.

Researcher at the Leibniz Institute on Ageing in Germany, Maja Olecka, who was not involved in this study, noted to Scientific American: “There are these waves of age-related changes. But it is still difficult to make a general conclusion about the timing of the inflection points.”

Nearly 58 million people in the US are aged 65 or older, a number which is expected to rise to almost 89 million by 2060, that is according to the National Institute on Ageing.

93% of elderly Americans suffer at least one chronic condition, with nearly 80% battling two or more.

Scientists hope studies can pave the way for targeted interventions to slow down ageing and reduce disease.

The authors concluded: “These insights may facilitate the development of treatments for ageing and age-related diseases, ultimately improving the health of older adults,” the authors concluded.

Grim? A bit. But useful to know.