Having treatable health conditions as a teen may speed up aging in midlife

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-02-22 03:00

New Zealand

Smoking, obesity, and psychological disorders are linked to an older biological age at midlife, finds a long-term study of 900 New Zealanders. The researchers say if these conditions are treated in childhood and adolescence, it could slow down biological aging, reducing the risk of chronic disease, disability and early death in adulthood.

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Journal/
conference: JAMA Pediatrics

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Organisation/s: University of Otago

Funder: This study was supported by grants R01AG069939, R01AG049789, and R01AG032282 from the NIA; grant MR/P005918/1 from the UK Medical Research Council; and by the Jacobs Foundation. Dr Bourassa was supported by Training Grant T32-AG000029 from the NIA. The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit was supported by Programme Grant 16-604 from the New Zealand Health Research Council and New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

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