Aging and Social Change’s Updates

Researchers Find 1,497 Genes Linked To Aging, Can Predict How Fast Person Gets Old

Youth Health | Article Link | by Jerwin Jay Taping

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

People become more susceptible to diseases as they age. This is true especially that most diseases affect the elderly. As to its explanation in a molecular level, not much about it had been well understood by scientists up until this research was conducted.

An international group of researchers from various institutions, led by Dr. Marjolein Peters and Dr. Andrew Johnson, conducted a gene expression meta-analysis of blood samples from 14,983 individuals of European origin. Out of the whole human genome, they were able to identify 1,497 useful genes that were differentially expressed in response to aging.

Researchers admitted that molecular factors affecting how fast people get old are hard to pinpoint. This is true especially that environmental factors, such as lifestyle and diet, also affect the aging process.

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