Cancer is rising in younger adults. Faster biological aging may help explain why
Cancer rates are rising in adults under 55, and new research suggests accelerated biological aging may be one piece of the puzzle. Scientists found that people from more recent generations tended to have bodies that appeared biologically older than those of earlier generations at the same chronological age. Greater biological age acceleration was linked to a higher risk of early onset cancers,…
Cancer rates are increasing among younger adults, leading researchers to investigate if faster biological aging could be a contributing factor. A study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that younger generations are aging more rapidly biologically compared to older generations at similar ages. This accelerated biological aging is associated with a higher risk of early-onset cancers, which are diagnosed at age 55 or younger.
The researchers discovered that people from more recent generations had larger gaps between their biological and chronological ages, indicating their bodies appeared biologically older. This generational shift in biological aging may help explain the rising cancer rates in younger adults. The study, published in Nature Medicine, suggests that measuring accelerated aging could eventually help doctors identify younger individuals at higher cancer risk, allowing for earlier prevention or screening.
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