It is said that time waits for no man, but biologically speaking, some people are barely ageing while others are speeding through their lives at a rate of three years every 12 months.
Scientists have developed a test that reveals a person’s biological age and how fast people are growing old.
In a group of 38-year-olds, some had the same physiology as a 30-year-old while others were closer to 60.
The researchers, from a range of institutions including King’s College London and Duke University in North Carolina, believe it could explain why some people look far older than their years.
Dr Andrea Danese, senior lecturer at King’s College London, said: “We can quantify biological ageing in young people. For the first time, we can see how fast they are ageing. If we know that, we can think about changing diets or making lifestyle changes when it is early enough to do something about it.
“These tests could detect premature ageing before people begin to develop heart disease, diabetes or dementia.”
The scientists have been following more than 1,000 people. Just as hair goes grey and wrinkles appear, all parts of the body deteriorate with age, and that can be measured to work out a biological age.
The research was published in the journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The Daily Telegraph
06–07–2015
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