Scientists believe they may have discovered the secret to slowing down the aging process, thanks to the discovery of a previously unknown piece of genetic code.
From trying to prevent wrinkles to trying to keep our bodies healthy as we age, the quest to curb how quickly we age continues.
But researchers believe they have made a key discovery in the effort to live a longer, healthier life.
A team of scientists from the University of Edinburgh and the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Aging in Germany have discovered a link between high levels of iron in the blood and the aging process.
Using genetic data from more than a million people, the researchers attempted to discover why some people age at different rates.
Read more: Super fit 73-year-old pulls boards, pull-ups and handstand while exercising six times a week
The team identified ten regions of the genome (the complete collection of genes that make up an organism) linked to three measurements; the duration of a life – useful life, the number of years of life lived free of disease – health, and being extremely long-lived – longevity.
The findings, published today in the journal Nature Communications, revealed that iron-related gene sets were the most common when all three measures of aging were observed.
Having high amounts of iron in the blood was linked to age-related conditions such as Parkinson’s and liver disease, making it difficult for the body to fight infection.
Therefore, the researchers concluded that maintaining healthy blood iron levels could be key to aging better and living longer.
“We are very excited about these findings, as they strongly suggest that high levels of iron in the blood reduce our healthy years of life and keeping these levels under control could prevent age-related damage,” explains Dr. Paul Timmers, from the University of Edinburgh. .
“Through aging, our bodies slowly decline over time and eventually develop fatal diseases, such as heart disease, dementia, and cancer.
“But the process occurs at different speeds for different people.”
The researchers also believe that the results of their study may shed light on a link between certain diets and age-related diseases.
“We speculate that our findings on iron metabolism may also begin to explain why very high levels of dietary iron-rich red meat have been linked to age-related conditions, such as heart disease,” continues Dr. Timmers. .
Read more: Exercising regularly could have an anti-aging effect on the body
The study authors now believe that their research could help accelerate the development of medications to reduce age-related diseases, extend healthy years of life, and increase the chances of living to old age without disease.
“Our ultimate goal is to discover how aging is regulated and find ways to improve health during aging,” explains Dr. Joris Deelen of the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Aging in Germany.
The latest hope is that their findings may lead to drugs that can mimic the effects of genes that control iron and could be a step toward overcoming some of the effects of aging.
But before throwing out the wrinkle cream ahead of time, the team noted that there is much more work to be done before humans can have a chance to delay aging.
“The ten regions of the genome that we have discovered that are linked to life expectancy, health and longevity are all interesting candidates for future studies,” added Dr. Deelen.
Read more: Drinking three cups of tea a week linked to a longer and healthier life
The study follows additional research suggesting that Generation X is more likely to experience more years of ill health than older baby boomers who are now in their 60s and 70s.
And earlier this year, scientists discovered that wealthy people can expect to live an average of eight to nine more years of “healthy” life compared to those in a less affluent situation.
The study, published in the Journal of Gerontology, examined how long adults can expect to live a disability-free life, rather than simply considering life expectancy.
The greatest socioeconomic advantage in terms of disability-free life expectancy was found to be wealth.
In addition to wealth, the researchers also believe that being nice could help you live longer.
Dr. Kelli Harding of Columbia University in New York believes that showing compassion lowers our blood pressure and at the same time boosts our immune system.
SWNS additional reporting.
