Everyone knows that age is just a number, but did you know that each of us actually has TWO ages? While we all technically get one year older every 365 days, it turns out that the cells in our bodies might be aging at a different rate! This is what scientists refer to as “biological age.”
What is biological age?
Nearly every cell in your body contains DNA, the master instruction manual for everything that’s inside you. But have you ever wondered why some cells become liver cells while others become blood cells? That has a lot to do with genes (specific sequences of DNA) that get turned on or off in different cells during development. When a gene is not needed (like a liver cell that does not need blood cell genes), small chemical tags called are added to the unnecessary gene sequences to package them up so tightly that they can’t be made into proteins (which is referred to as gene silencing). These small chemical tags are part of a larger system of DNA alterations called epigenetic modifications.
Unlike DNA, which always has the same components, epigenetic modifications are dynamic. Genes get packaged up when they’re not needed (like the holiday decorations in your basement), but they can be unpacked again when they are necessary! Importantly, there are some factors that we can control, like diet, exercise, stress, sleep, and other lifestyle changes that can influence your epigenetics.
There are, however, some factors that we can’t do anything about, but also impact your epigenetics, like age. Scientists have known since the late 1960s that age strongly impacts the epigenome. As we get older, small chemical tags called methyl groups get attached to some of our genes to silence them. Scientists have been able to correlate the amount of methyl groups attached to certain genes to the age of your DNA, or your biological age. Another term for biological age is “epigenetic age.” The higher the proportion of genes with those little methyl groups attached, the older your DNA appears to be.
Does [biological] age really matter?
Yes! Multiple research papers have demonstrated a correlation between biological age and diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even certain cancers. Recently, a paper was published in the journal Ophthalmology which showed a correlation between biological age and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide.
Dr. Felipe Medeiros, a top glaucoma specialist in the US, and his colleagues at Duke University and the University of Miami did a retrospective study where they reviewed medical histories of 200 POAG patients. Charts from 100 patients who were identified as having rapidly-progressing glaucoma were compared to charts from 100 other patients with slow-progressing glaucoma. The doctors also took blood samples from each patient and used four different methods – the Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, and GrimAge clocks – to calculate each patient’s biological age.
Using the patients’ glaucoma test results as well as the results from their biological age tests, Dr. Medeiros and colleagues found that people with faster glaucoma progression also showed significantly greater biological age. Specifically, their biological age was almost three years older than their calendar age, compared to the slow-progressing group. The study concluded that accelerated biological aging may make a person’s eye more vulnerable to damage from glaucoma. The findings suggest that biological age could be used as a tool to predict how quickly someone’s glaucoma might get worse.
What can I do?
First, it is important to remember that this paper using 200 glaucoma patients is not meant to represent the glaucoma population of the entire country. While this information is useful and gives us another interesting tool to use to figure out how quickly someone may or may not lose vision from glaucoma, always consult your doctor or a health care professional before making significant changes to your lifestyle, including diet or exercise routines.
If you are concerned about biological aging and the risk of diseases like glaucoma, the good news is that research suggests lifestyle choices can measurably slow down, or even reverse, your biological age! You can start by focusing on your diet to increase your intake of healthy vegetables and anti-inflammatory compounds. Increasing your consumption of dark leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, beets, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds daily is a great place to start! Interestingly, some natural plant compounds like turmeric, rosemary, garlic, berries, and green tea have been shown to reduce biological age by ensuring a balance in the amount of methyl groups that get attached to your genes.
As you may suspect, prioritizing structured exercise always helps too. A study showed that just eight weeks of combined aerobic and strength training reduced biological age in previously sedentary middle-aged women, especially in their blood and muscle cells. Do something that you enjoy and can make into a routine – walking, weightlifting (which is also great for bone density!), swimming, even yoga or tai chi have been shown to reduce the pace of biological aging.
Finally, be mindful of sleep! Chronic insomnia symptoms in women have been associated with accelerated biological aging, making stress management and a consistent sleep routine a powerful anti-aging strategy. Create a wind-down ritual for yourself! It’s been shown that turning off your devices half an hour before bedtime is a great way to improve sleep quality. Instead, consider meditation, gentle stretches, or reading a book before shutting your eyes.
While there currently is no known cure for glaucoma, adopting healthy lifestyle choices and taking good care of the cells in your body is a great way to help yourself as you age. We at Glaucoma Research Foundation have been dedicated to curing glaucoma and restoring vision through innovative research for more than 45 years. To learn more about glaucoma and how you can be part of our mission, please visit our website www.glaucoma.org.
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