As adults age more quickly, their risk of cancer increases.
According to a recent study, younger generations are aging more quickly, which may be raising their risk of cancer.
Seniors born between 1950 and 1954 are 17% less likely than those born in or
after 1965 to be experiencing accelerated aging. These findings also indicate
that accelerated aging is linked to an increased risk of early-onset
malignancies, or cancers that develop in persons under the age of 55.
Ruiyi Tian, a doctorate student at Washington University School of Medicine in
St. Louis, stated in a news release that "multiple cancer types are
becoming increasingly common among younger adults in the United States and
globally." "Understanding the factors driving this increase will be
key to improving the prevention or early detection of cancers in younger and
future generations."
Researchers examined blood samples from approximately 149,000 participants in
the U.K. Biobank initiative for this study.
The researchers determined each person's biological age—that is, the age at
which a person seems to be based on the state of their body—using a collection
of nine biomarkers discovered in blood.
Then, they compared that to the individual's true age determined by their
birthdate and any cancers that had affected them.
Researchers discovered an increased risk: for every unit increment in
accelerated aging.
• 22% for early-onset gastrointestinal (GI) cancer and 42% for early-onset lung
cancer.
• 36% for uterine cancer with an early beginning.
Additionally, among older persons, accelerated aging was linked to a 16% higher
risk of late-onset GI cancer and a 23% higher risk of late-onset uterine
cancer.
"By examining the relationship between accelerating aging and the risk of
early-onset cancers, we provide a fresh perspective on the shared [causes] of
early-onset cancers," Tian stated.
"If validated, our findings suggest that interventions
to slow biological aging could be a new avenue for cancer prevention, and
screening efforts tailored to younger individuals with signs of accelerated
aging could help detect cancers early," she stated.
The next step for the researchers will be to determine why the accelerated
aging of younger persons is raising their risk of cancer.
On Sunday, at the American Association for Cancer Research convention in San
Diego, researchers gave a presentation of their findings. Research displayed at
medical conferences must be regarded as preliminary until they are released
in a peer-reviewed publication.
Additional details
See more about biological age as opposed to chronological age at Northwestern
Medicine.
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