Aging is not a slow, steady process but undergoes a significant acceleration around the age of 50, when the deterioration of organs and tissues sharply increases, according to research published in the journal *Cell* and led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The study, which analyzed age-related changes in proteins, identified blood vessels as the first to begin declining, followed by the pancreas and spleen.
Previous research, such as an August 2024 study in *Nature Aging*, had already indicated key “steps” in the aging process involving drastic biomolecular shifts, pinpointing the first step at age 44 and the second at 60.
The research team, headed by Yingjie Ding, examined organ and tissue samples from 76 individuals aged 14 to 68 who died from accidental head trauma. This allowed them to catalogue the proteins present in various systems and their levels relative to age. The results revealed a particularly pronounced change occurring between 45 and 55 years old, driven by substantial tissue remodeling.
“Our study aims to build a comprehensive protein atlas covering 50 years of the entire human aging process,” stated the authors, “clarifying the mechanisms behind protein imbalance in various organs and tissues. These insights could facilitate the development of targeted interventions against aging and age-related diseases,” they added, “paving the way for improving the health of the elderly.”
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