Accelerated ageing determined in the womb
People born during the Depression aged faster than normal – and it seems that conditions faced by their mother before they were born is to blame.
Exposure to poor economic conditions before birth has been linked to accelerated ageing in later life.
Researchers who looked specifically at people born during the Great Depression say the results indicate that the foetal environment plays a critical role in longevity and healthy ageing.
As people age, their cells accumulate changes that can lead to increased vulnerability to disease.
Such changes are epigenetic, meaning they affect the way genes are expressed without altering the underlying DNA sequence.
While epigenetic change is normal, different lifestyle, behavioural, and environmental factors can also affect how genes work.
So, prenatal exposure to adverse environmental factors – such as maternal malnutrition and stress – may lead to epigenetic changes that influence ageing later in life.
What's the difference?
Your biological age and chronological age may not be the same.
Biological age indicates how much ageing-related damage has occurred inside your body’s cells and tissues, and is different than chronological age, which is the number of years lived.
People with biological ages older than their chronological ages are described as having accelerated ageing and appear to be more likely to have age-related diseases and shorter chronological lifespans.
Scientists have developed methods to measure biological age by examining the epigenome, which contains a record of changes to a cell’s DNA.
Researchers from two American universities analysed blood samples and economic data of 832 people born from 1929 to 1940.
They found that people who were exposed to worse economic conditions during foetal development were more likely to have a biological age older than their chronological age.
The scientists determined that exposure to economic adversity after birth was not linked to faster ageing.
This suggests foetal development may be a uniquely important period in laying the foundation for longevity and healthy ageing.
For related reading: US National Institute on Aging
