Study reveals genetic link between chronic diseases and aging
Globally, the population over 60 is growing at a faster rate than any other age group. Chronic diseases are a threat to their quality of living and pose challenges for healthcare and economic systems. Researchers from PolyOmica and the University of Edinburgh, as well as scientists from Gero, MIPT, and other institutions, worked together to better understand the biology behind healthspan, or the healthy period of a person’s life that occurs before chronic diseases manifest. The data was analyzed by the scientists of Gero, MIPT, and UK Biobank to examine the genetics and medical histories of more than 300,000 people between the ages of 37 and 73.
The study, published in Communications Biology today, was led by Prof. Yurii Alchenko and Dr. Peter Fedichev. The study shows that many chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes and chronic obstructive lung disease, stroke and dementia, share a common mechanism.
Peter Fedichev explains that according to the Gompertz Mortality Law, the risk of dying from any cause increases exponentially once you reach 40 years old and doubles every eight years. By analyzing the dynamics in clinical data from UKB we found that age-related disease risks doubled at a rate consistent with the Gompertz death law. The close relationship between chronic diseases and mortality indicates that the risk of these conditions could be driven by aging. Healthspan is a proxy that can be used to investigate the genetic factors that control the rate of aging. This \”holy-grail\” goal for antiaging interventions can then be investigated.
Source:
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/g-aac012919.php
