Menopause: The Silent Accelerator of Biological Aging
How the menopause can speed up the aging process, and what this means for a woman's health
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Menopause marks the end of a woman's reproductive years and is usually known for its hormonal changes and symptoms, such as hot flashes and mood swings. However, recent research has shown that menopause also affects biological aging process can speed up the body. This fascinating study investigates how menopause affects the aging process on a molecular level, using an innovative tool called”epigenetic clock“is used.
The epigenetic clock: measuring biological age
For a long time, researchers have been looking for ways to biological age to measure - the age at which the body functions and which may differ from chronological age. One option is the epigenetic clock, a high-precision biomarker that determines age based on the level of DNA methylation. DNA methylation is a process that affects gene expression without changing the DNA sequence itself. Because these methylation patterns change with age, this is a reliable marker of biological age.
In this study The relationship between menopause and biological aging was investigated in more detail using the epigenetic clock. By analyzing data from four large-scale studies involving thousands of women, scientists investigated how menopause affects aging in various tissues, including blood, saliva, and cells that line the inside of the mouth.
The link between menopause and aging
The results were astonishing. Women who entered menopause earlier showed signs of faster biological aging, particularly in the blood. This means that the earlier menopause occurred, the faster the biological age rose, even though the chronological age remained the same. The effect was even more pronounced in women who had undergone bilateral ovariectomy, an operation that removed both ovaries. These women showed a significant acceleration of the aging process not only in blood but also in saliva.
Similar article: How ovarian aging affects women's health
In contrast, women who take menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) — a treatment that replaces hormones that are no longer produced after menopause — appear to age more slowly in the cells that line their mouths. This suggests that hormone replacement therapy could help offset some of the aging effects associated with menopause.
The role of genetics
However, the study was not limited to observing these relationships. The researchers also examined the genetics and found that certain genetic variations associated with the time of menopause also appear to influence the rate of biological aging. This suggests a deeper genetic link between menopause and aging, where the genes that determine the time of onset of menopause could also determine the rate of a woman's biological aging.
A new understanding of aging
This research adds a new level to our understanding of aging by showing how menopause, a phase unique to women, can accelerate aging on a molecular level. She challenges the traditional view that menopause is simply a marker of aging and views it instead as a potential driver of biological aging.
The effects are far-reaching. If menopause accelerates aging, that could explain why women who enter menopause early are at higher risk of age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and dementia. However, this also raises the question of how interventions such as hormone therapies could slow down this process.
What's next?
This study sheds light on the link between menopause and aging, but it also raises many questions. For example: How fast does the aging process accelerate after menopause? And could it be that it is not menopause itself, but the conditions that trigger an operative menopause that are responsible for this acceleration?
Future research must address these questions and examine how the various Tissues in the body age and whether the changes observed in blood also occur in others organs reflect. A better understanding of these processes could pave the way for new therapies that target not only the symptoms of menopause but also the underlying accelerated aging process.
Menopause is perhaps more than just a phase of life — it could be a major turning point in the biological aging process, with far-reaching consequences for women's health and longevity.
References
Levine ME, Lu AT, Chen BH, Hernandez DG, Singleton AB, Ferrucci L, Bandinelli S, Salfati E, Manson JE, Quach A, Kusters CD, Cow D, Wong A, Teschendorff AE, Widschwendter M, Ritz BR, Absher D, Assimes TL, Horvath S. Menopause accelerates biological aging. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016 Aug 16; 113 (33) :9327-32. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1604558113. Epub 2016 Jul 25. PMID: 27457926; PMCID: PMC4995944.
Publiziert
12.9.2024
Kategorie
Health
Experte
Scientific Terms
Biological Age
Biological age is the age of cells in the body, which is determined by various properties and biomarkers that correlate with aging and decay in research.
Biomarkers
A specific substance, physical characteristic, gene, etc. that can be measured to indicate the presence or progress of a disease.
DNA
Abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that encodes the information that a cell needs to function or a virus needs to replicate. Forms a double helix that resembles a twisted ladder, similar to a zipper. The bases, abbreviated as A, C, T, and G, are on either side of the ladder or strand that run in opposite directions. The bases exert an attraction on each other so that A sticks to T and C to G. The sequence of these letters is known as the genetic code.
DNA Methylation Clock
Changes in the number and locations of DNA methylation marks on DNA can be used to predict lifespan and mark the time from birth. When an organism is epigenomically reprogrammed or cloned, the methyl labels are removed, reversing the age of the cell.
Epigenetics
From ancient Greek π epi 'to, moreover, 'and genetics
Refers to changes in a cell's gene expression that do not involve a change in the DNA code. Instead, the DNA and histones around which the DNA is wrapped are “marked” with removable chemical signals (see demethylation and deacetylation). Epigenetic tags tell other proteins where and when to read the DNA. This is comparable to a post-it on a book page that says “Skip.” A reader will ignore the page, but the book itself hasn't been changed.
Epigenetic clock
A type of DNA clock that relies on measuring natural DNA methylation levels to estimate the biological age of a tissue, cell type, or organ, such as the Horvath clock.
Gene Expression
A product that is based on a gene; may refer to either RNA or protein. When a gene is activated, cellular machines express it by transcribing the DNA into RNA and/or translating the RNA into a chain of amino acids. For example, a highly expressed gene makes many copies of RNA, and its protein product is likely to be abundant in the cell.
Hormone
Chemical messenger that controls various bodily functions
Menopause marks the end of a woman's reproductive years and is usually known for its hormonal changes and symptoms, such as hot flashes and mood swings. However, recent research has shown that menopause also affects biological aging process can speed up the body. This fascinating study investigates how menopause affects the aging process on a molecular level, using an innovative tool called”epigenetic clock“is used.
The epigenetic clock: measuring biological age
For a long time, researchers have been looking for ways to biological age to measure - the age at which the body functions and which may differ from chronological age. One option is the epigenetic clock, a high-precision biomarker that determines age based on the level of DNA methylation. DNA methylation is a process that affects gene expression without changing the DNA sequence itself. Because these methylation patterns change with age, this is a reliable marker of biological age.
In this study The relationship between menopause and biological aging was investigated in more detail using the epigenetic clock. By analyzing data from four large-scale studies involving thousands of women, scientists investigated how menopause affects aging in various tissues, including blood, saliva, and cells that line the inside of the mouth.
The link between menopause and aging
The results were astonishing. Women who entered menopause earlier showed signs of faster biological aging, particularly in the blood. This means that the earlier menopause occurred, the faster the biological age rose, even though the chronological age remained the same. The effect was even more pronounced in women who had undergone bilateral ovariectomy, an operation that removed both ovaries. These women showed a significant acceleration of the aging process not only in blood but also in saliva.
Similar article: How ovarian aging affects women's health
In contrast, women who take menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) — a treatment that replaces hormones that are no longer produced after menopause — appear to age more slowly in the cells that line their mouths. This suggests that hormone replacement therapy could help offset some of the aging effects associated with menopause.
The role of genetics
However, the study was not limited to observing these relationships. The researchers also examined the genetics and found that certain genetic variations associated with the time of menopause also appear to influence the rate of biological aging. This suggests a deeper genetic link between menopause and aging, where the genes that determine the time of onset of menopause could also determine the rate of a woman's biological aging.
A new understanding of aging
This research adds a new level to our understanding of aging by showing how menopause, a phase unique to women, can accelerate aging on a molecular level. She challenges the traditional view that menopause is simply a marker of aging and views it instead as a potential driver of biological aging.
The effects are far-reaching. If menopause accelerates aging, that could explain why women who enter menopause early are at higher risk of age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and dementia. However, this also raises the question of how interventions such as hormone therapies could slow down this process.
What's next?
This study sheds light on the link between menopause and aging, but it also raises many questions. For example: How fast does the aging process accelerate after menopause? And could it be that it is not menopause itself, but the conditions that trigger an operative menopause that are responsible for this acceleration?
Future research must address these questions and examine how the various Tissues in the body age and whether the changes observed in blood also occur in others organs reflect. A better understanding of these processes could pave the way for new therapies that target not only the symptoms of menopause but also the underlying accelerated aging process.
Menopause is perhaps more than just a phase of life — it could be a major turning point in the biological aging process, with far-reaching consequences for women's health and longevity.
Experte
Referenzen
Levine ME, Lu AT, Chen BH, Hernandez DG, Singleton AB, Ferrucci L, Bandinelli S, Salfati E, Manson JE, Quach A, Kusters CD, Cow D, Wong A, Teschendorff AE, Widschwendter M, Ritz BR, Absher D, Assimes TL, Horvath S. Menopause accelerates biological aging. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016 Aug 16; 113 (33) :9327-32. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1604558113. Epub 2016 Jul 25. PMID: 27457926; PMCID: PMC4995944.
Publiziert
12.9.2024
Kategorie
Health
Wissenschaftliche Begriffe
Biological Age
Biological age is the age of cells in the body, which is determined by various properties and biomarkers that correlate with aging and decay in research.
Biomarkers
A specific substance, physical characteristic, gene, etc. that can be measured to indicate the presence or progress of a disease.
DNA
Abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that encodes the information that a cell needs to function or a virus needs to replicate. Forms a double helix that resembles a twisted ladder, similar to a zipper. The bases, abbreviated as A, C, T, and G, are on either side of the ladder or strand that run in opposite directions. The bases exert an attraction on each other so that A sticks to T and C to G. The sequence of these letters is known as the genetic code.
DNA Methylation Clock
Changes in the number and locations of DNA methylation marks on DNA can be used to predict lifespan and mark the time from birth. When an organism is epigenomically reprogrammed or cloned, the methyl labels are removed, reversing the age of the cell.
Epigenetics
From ancient Greek π epi 'to, moreover, 'and genetics
Refers to changes in a cell's gene expression that do not involve a change in the DNA code. Instead, the DNA and histones around which the DNA is wrapped are “marked” with removable chemical signals (see demethylation and deacetylation). Epigenetic tags tell other proteins where and when to read the DNA. This is comparable to a post-it on a book page that says “Skip.” A reader will ignore the page, but the book itself hasn't been changed.
Epigenetic clock
A type of DNA clock that relies on measuring natural DNA methylation levels to estimate the biological age of a tissue, cell type, or organ, such as the Horvath clock.
Gene Expression
A product that is based on a gene; may refer to either RNA or protein. When a gene is activated, cellular machines express it by transcribing the DNA into RNA and/or translating the RNA into a chain of amino acids. For example, a highly expressed gene makes many copies of RNA, and its protein product is likely to be abundant in the cell.
Hormone
Chemical messenger that controls various bodily functions
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