Research Reveals Early Biological Aging Correlates with Rising Cancer Rates in Younger Patients.
In the quest to understand the increasing incidence of various cancers among younger populations, scientists have identified a significant underlying factor: The correlation between early biological aging and younger cancer patients.
According to CNN, the findings were published by experts from Washington University School of Medicine. They examined the medical records of 148,724 individuals aged 37 to 54 who participated in a large data registry known as the UK Biobank.
“We all know cancer is an age-related disease. However, it is actually occurring in younger individuals,” shared Dr. Yin Cao, an associate professor of surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the lead author of the study.
Age is not merely a number of candles on a birthday cake. It also reflects the wear and tear on the body caused by lifestyle, stress, and genetic factors, sometimes referred to as an individual’s biological age, she added.
Her research team focused on nine blood-based biomarkers that have been shown to correlate with biological age:
- Albumin: A protein produced by the liver that decreases with age.
- Creatinine: A waste product in the blood from protein digestion and muscle breakdown; it serves as a measure of kidney function. Lower levels correlate with better longevity.
- Glucose: With age, blood sugar levels tend to remain elevated longer after meals.
- C-reactive protein: Produced by the liver in response to inflammation; relatively higher levels correspond to accelerated aging.
- Percentage of lymphocytes: The concentration of these white blood cells related to immune function tends to decrease with age.
- Mean corpuscular volume: A measure of the average size of red blood cells, which increases with age.
- Red cell distribution width: The difference between the smallest and largest red blood cells in an individual, which tends to increase with age.
- Alkaline phosphatase: An enzyme primarily produced by the liver and bones, which tends to increase with age.
- White blood cell count: A count at the upper end of the normal range in the blood may correspond to more aging.
These nine values were then incorporated into a phenotypic algorithm called PhenoAge to calculate each individual’s biological age. Subsequently, researchers identified early aging by comparing individuals’ biological age with their chronological age.
Experts examined their cancer registry for individuals diagnosed with early-stage cancer (under 55 years old), resulting in nearly 3,200 cases of early aging associated with cancer.
Lung cancer rates are increasing. (Photo: Saintjohnscancer).
What Types of Cancer Are More Common in Early Aging Individuals?
Researchers found that early biological aging is linked to an increased risk of cancer. The strongest association was observed with lung, stomach, and colorectal cancers, as well as uterine cancer.
Ruiyi Tian, the lead researcher, noted that the lungs are more susceptible to aging than other tissues due to their limited regenerative capacity. She mentioned that stomach and colorectal cancers are associated with inflammation, a condition that increases with age.
Individuals born in 1965 or later were also diagnosed with a 17% higher likelihood of early aging compared to those born between 1950 and 1954.
The study also indicated that individuals with the highest scores have twice the risk of early-stage lung cancer, over a 60% higher risk of gastrointestinal tumors, and more than an 80% increased risk of uterine cancer.
