Country Exhibiting Sluggish Aging Rates and Another with Rapid Age Progression Unveiled in Recent Research
In a groundbreaking study published in Nature Medicine, researchers have identified key factors contributing to healthy aging, emphasizing that the aging process is significantly influenced by environmental, social, and political conditions, as well as biology and lifestyle. The study, led by Associate Professor and Group Leader of the Scheibye-Knudsen Research Group at the University of Copenhagen, Martin Scheibye-Knudsen, reveals that these factors collectively shape a person's biobehavioural age gap (BBAG), which measures the difference between chronological age and predicted biological age based on various risk and protective factors related to health and cognition.
The study found that European populations exhibit the highest levels of healthy aging, with Denmark ranking at the top. This advantage is attributed to better environmental, social, and political conditions, such as excellent air quality, strong gender equality, robust socioeconomic status, and political stability. In contrast, lower-income countries, particularly those outside Europe, tend to show more advanced biobehavioural ages, indicating faster aging due to worse social, political, and environmental stressors.
Interestingly, the study found that risk factors had a stronger impact than protective ones. Individuals in lower-income countries showed significantly accelerated aging, regardless of individual socioeconomic status. Accelerated aging was found to increase the likelihood of cognitive decline by four times and make individuals eight times more likely to find it difficult to complete day-to-day tasks.
Scheibye-Knudsen, who is also the President of the Nordic Aging Society, emphasizes the urgent need to address health disparities across the world and suggests investing in universal solutions such as universal education and healthcare to maintain population health. However, it is worth noting that the study had limited representation of certain regions, particularly Africa, with only Egypt and South Africa included.
To determine average rates of aging, the researchers used an artificial intelligence (AI) model called the 'biobehavioural age gap' clock. The findings of the study reveal associations rather than causal relationships. Across the four continents studied, European people have the highest levels of healthy ageing, with Denmark having the slowest aging population, with individuals being an average of 2.35 years younger than their chronological age. Egypt, on the other hand, had the fastest aging population, with individuals' biobehavioural ages being an average of 4.75 years higher than their chronological age.
The key factors for healthy aging in Denmark and other northern and western European countries are physical (like air quality), social (such as gender equality and socioeconomic status), and sociopolitical (including political interest, freedom for political parties, democratic elections, and the right to vote). As we continue to understand the complexities of aging, these findings provide valuable insights into the multidimensional phenomenon of healthy aging and the role of various factors in shaping individual and population health outcomes.
- The study published in Nature Medicine, led by Martin Scheibye-Knudsen, underlines that factors contributing to healthy aging are influenced by biology, lifestyle, and environmental, social, and political conditions.
- The research reveals that European populations exhibit the highest levels of healthy aging, with Denmark ranking first, thanks to better environmental conditions, gender equality, socioeconomic status, and political stability.
- Unfortunately, individuals in lower-income countries, typically outside Europe, tend to show advanced biobehavioural ages, as a result of worse social, political, and environmental stressors.
- The study indicates that risk factors have a stronger impact than protective ones, leading to accelerated aging in lower-income countries, increasing the likelihood of cognitive decline and difficulty completing day-to-day tasks.
- Scheibye-Knudsen, the President of the Nordic Aging Society, underscores the importance of addressing global health disparities and suggests investing in universal solutions, like universal education and healthcare, to uphold population health.
- To determine average rates of aging, the study used an AI model called the 'biobehavioural age gap' clock, which associates factors with healthy aging across four continents, with Europeans displaying the highest levels of healthy ageing and Denmark having the slowest aging population.
