Almost nothing in nature can avoid ageing, and yet many of us feel it’s an experience best prevented where possible.
A booming industry scrambles to develop the latest solutions to slow, disguise or altogether evade some of the superficial hallmarks of an ever-ticking biological clock.
Meanwhile, the actual science of anti-ageing – the stuff that’s proven to prolong life – often gets diluted by punchy advertising and beauty products, with admittedly appealing packaging.
In reality, while tinctures and ‘tweakments’ may effectively target some aesthetic byproducts of ageing, the best interventions for slowing ageing can’t be found in the cosmetics aisle, according to the experts.
“The commercial anti-ageing industry perpetuates overhyped claims that conflate cosmetic concerns with the serious science of ‘geroscience’, the scientific term for anti-ageing,” says Dr Hugh Coyne, private GP and co-founder of Coyne Medical, based in London.
This, he warns, leads to an undermining of public trust and diverts attention from evidence-based interventions.
Emerging science shows that the biology of ageing is, to an extent, modifiable. And that’s not all – scientists are continually uncovering surprising lessons about anti-ageing.
Here are five that they want you to know about…
1. We all age at different rates
We each have a chronological age and a biological age – and, according to ageing research, the two often aren’t in sync.
“While we all move through time at the same pace, our bodies do not necessarily age in the same way,” says Coyne.
Chronological age, he explains, is simply the number of birthdays we have had, whereas biological age is an estimate of how our body’s cells and organs are functioning, compared with what might be expected at that age.
The latter is determined by assessing health markers including blood biomarkers, fitness, organ function, DNA methylation patterns, and circulating proteins.
The distinction between the two is important, Coyne says, explaining: “Two people can both be 50, but one may have the cardiovascular fitness, metabolic health and muscle function more typical of someone a decade younger, while the other may show signs of accelerated ageing.
“For example, a 50-year-old woman with the maximal oxygen uptake usually seen in a healthy 40-year-old may, in that respect, have a much ‘younger’ physiological profile.”
Dr Alex Cagan, a scientist and assistant professor at the University of Cambridge, says scientists are observing that different tissues in our bodies can accumulate damage at different rates, shaped by how hard those cells work and how well they’re maintained.
“What determines how rapidly we age is an area of active research, but evidence points to a combination of our genes and our environment,” he says.
Encouragingly, this means that many determining factors are modifiable. However, Cagan also mentions that people facing greater socioeconomic disadvantage tend to face more of the exposures that accelerate declining health with age, including chronic stress, air pollution, less access to healthcare and good food, and less stable sleep.
“So, the gap between someone’s calendar age and their body’s true age can be a visible fingerprint of inequality,” he says.
2. It’s possible to slow down ageing
True, you can’t turn back time. However, emerging science suggests the rate at which you age is potentially more malleable than you may think.
“Several human studies suggest that lifestyle interventions can slow, and in some cases improve, markers linked to biological ageing,” says Coyne.
“In the CALERIE Phase 2 trial, for example, two years of moderate calorie restriction in non-obese adults improved several risk factors associated with ageing, including markers of cardiovascular risk and inflammation.
“Other studies have reported changes in epigenetic ageing clocks after interventions involving diet, exercise, sleep, stress reduction and, in some cases, medication.”
To be clear, this doesn’t mean that restrictive eating has anti-ageing effects, nor that ageing can be altogether prevented.
What this data does do, however, is help scientists to develop a more in-depth understanding of how our lifestyles influence life expectancy and – perhaps more importantly – how we can modify them to live healthily for as long as possible.
The lifestyle interventions that science says can slow biological ageing aren’t particularly sexy or exciting, but they are reliable and refreshingly simple.
“Exercise, better sleep, and an appropriate diet can measurably improve markers like inflammation, blood pressure, and insulin sensitivity,” says Cagan.
These changes, he says, can effectively slow how fast our internal clock is ticking, and even nudge specific dials backwards.
“What we can’t do, at least not yet, is hit a global ‘rewind’ button on the whole organism, but that’s something that many people are working on, particularly through research on processes such as cellular rejuvenation that seek to return cells to a younger state,” Cagan adds.
Watch this space.
Read more:
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3. The real goal is healthspan, not lifespan
While some of the most well-known longevity enthusiasts appear to be solely concerned with elongating their time on planet Earth, scientists know that the real goal isn’t to live for as long as possible – it’s increasing the time you live without ailments.
“Ageing goes far beyond being a cosmetic inconvenience,” says Cagan. “It’s the single biggest risk factor we know of for cancer, dementia, and conditions like heart failure, stroke, and atherosclerosis.”
Geroscience isn’t concerned with cosmetic ageing. Instead, it explores how to target biological processes that influence the risk of developing age-related illnesses – theoretically increasing what’s called our healthspan. That is, the number of years we can live independently and free from disease.
“These processes include chronic low-grade inflammation, cellular senescence, mitochondrial dysfunction, changes in DNA regulation and loss of tissue repair,” explains Coyne.
“The hope is that by slowing or modifying these underlying mechanisms, we may eventually be able to delay several age-related diseases at once, rather than waiting for each one to appear separately and then treating each individual illness.”
A major goal of geroscience, according to Cagan, is the compression of age-associated decline into the smallest possible window at the end. “In essence, to die young as late as possible.”
4. Lifestyle can make a real difference
Your genes absolutely have a say in your potential longevity, but they aren’t solely responsible for your future health outcomes.
Some people inherit a higher risk of conditions such as heart disease, dementia, cancer or diabetes, which should be taken seriously.
However, research tells us that lifestyle may have a bigger influence on long-term health and lifespan than we once thought.
“Traditional twin studies suggest that genes account for around a quarter of the variation in lifespan,” says Coyne.
“Some larger analyses suggest the figure may be lower once shared lifestyle, socioeconomic factors and the tendency for people to partner with others from similar backgrounds are taken into account.”
This, he argues, does not mean that biology is irrelevant. Some inherited risks are powerful and need specific medical attention.
“But for most people, while genes have some influence, there is also a much larger set of modifiable influences.” These include smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol, physical activity, diet, sleep, body composition, alcohol, education, air quality, stress and access to healthcare.
“Indeed, people with a strong family history are often the ones who have most to gain from prevention,” Coyne says.
“A healthy lifestyle does not erase genetic risk, but it can substantially change how that risk is manifested. This is illustrated by an often-used quote in medicine, ‘genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger’.”
5. Age-related decline isn’t inevitable
Ageing brings change, but Coyne reassures that rapid decline is not inevitable.
“One of the most damaging ideas about ageing is that, after a certain point, nothing can be done.” In reality, he says, people can improve their health, fitness and independence well into later life.
“Studies of older adults show that healthier habits after the age of 65 are still associated with longer life expectancy and lower mortality. That includes people with a higher genetic risk. So, it is not a case of having ‘missed the boat’ by retirement age.”
Coyne highlights exercise as a solid example. Science shows that physical inactivity is one of the major modifiable risk factors for ill health, but the benefits of movement do not disappear in later life.
“Even modest increases in activity can improve blood pressure, blood sugar control, mood, balance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness,” he says. “Strength training is particularly important because it helps preserve muscle and bone, reducing the risk of frailty, falls and loss of independence.”
Simple changes, such as increased physical activity and quitting smoking, may not make someone biologically young again but they have the potential to improve how well they function.
Coyne says: “It is never too late to benefit.”
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