Topic for Dec. 21. (Thur)

[Alex !]

While we all age the same chronologically, year on year, we don't each age biologically in the same way. Our genes, environment, and lifestyle habits all play a part in this.

There are thought to be four main and overlapping biological ageing patterns that people fall into. Scientists have called these 'ageotypes' - and knowing yours could help you live a longer, healthier life.

We all age as we get older, but how we individually age is different, and this is because different parts of our bodies age at varying rates. The older a particular body part, the higher chance you have of certain health problems - and this is related to how quickly its cells are declining or becoming damaged.

Although the ageing process is multi-layered - influenced by genes, the environment, and lifestyle factors - scientists have identified four main ways that individuals age, each corresponding to a particular part of our bodies1. Each of these distinct ageing patterns is known as an ageotype.

Dr Kerry Aston, a rheumatologist specialising in longevity, outlines some of the key reasons why parts of our bodies age differently:

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They did this by taking regular blood, poo and other biological samples to study a range of molecules in the body, which captured four clear and very distinct patterns:

This ageotype means your metabolism is ageing at a high rate compared to other parts of your body. Metabolism is a term that describes the complex chemical reactions that allow you to turn food into energy.

Your body uses this energy to keep you alive, for example, it enables breathing, blood circulation, cell repair and growth, food digestion, and many more essential activities. A metabolism in age-related decline is linked to obesity, heart disease, and metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes.

The immune ageotype focuses on the immune system's decline with age. A healthy and younger immune systemis better at fighting off infections and managing long-term (chronic) inflammation.

So, a declining immune system leaves you more susceptible to these, as well as autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and multiple sclerosis (MS).

This ageotype relates to the liver's ageing process and its role in detoxification. Your liver’s job includes processing nutrients and filtering out harmful toxins from your body.

A strong hepatic ageotype may mean it doesn't perform these tasks as well. Liver decline may also increase your chances of liver diseases, including cirrhosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

The nephrotic ageotype is all to do with kidney function. Your kidneys are powerful chemical factories that balance the body's fluids, regulate blood pressure, remove waste products, and produce vitamin D, among other tasks.

Ageing kidneys can have problems filtering out potentially harmful substances, cause blood pressurepeaks or dips, or create imbalances in essential minerals. There’s also an increased chance of kidney diseases.