Scientists have found a connection between accelerated biological aging and an increase in cases of early-onset cancer in young adults, according to new research presented at the annual conference of the American Association for Cancer Research, held in San Diego, California.
The study analyzed the medical records of 148,724 people between 37 and 54 years old, included in the UK Biobank database. The scientists calculated the biological age of each participant using nine blood biomarkers, including creatinine, white blood cell count and lymphocyte percentage, among others.
These nine values were fed into an algorithm called PhenoAge, which was used to calculate each person’s biological age. Individuals whose biological age was greater than their chronological age were defined as having accelerated aging.
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Thus, the global incidence of tumors in individuals under 50 years of age has increased by 79% in the last three decades, according to a new study published in the journal BMJ Oncology. Dietary risk factors, along with alcohol and tobacco consumption, have been identified as major contributors to this wave of early-onset cancers.
Researchers found that people born after 1965 were 17% more likely to experience accelerated aging than those born between 1950 and 1954. Additionally, the study revealed that accelerated aging was associated with a 42% higher risk of cancer early-onset lung cancer, a 22% higher chance of early-onset gastrointestinal cancer, and a 36% higher risk of uterine cancer.
“Unlike chronological age (which measures a person’s lifespan), biological age can be influenced by factors such as diet, physical activity, mental health, and environmental stressors,” explained Ruiyi Tian, graduate student at the University of Washington, who participated in the research.
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