Aging in Waves: Inflection Points at 44 & 60

By Shlomo Maital   

‘I’m telling you this standing on your head workout will add hours to your life”

      At my age, I am naturally interest in the science of aging. A Scientific American on-line  piece today by Saima S. Iqbal brings evidence from NATURE Aging – that aging is not, as I thought, a gradual downhill slide.  There are two inflection points: ages 40 and 60.

     “As a person enters their 60s, it’s common for them to start really feeling the health effects of aging. Many people might need glasses or hearing aids, or their doctors may warn them about a sharply increased risk of diabetes or heart disease. But new research published this month suggests that our body tends to undergo a dramatic wave of age-related molecular changes not only in our 60s but also in our mid-40s.”

     What is the basis of this claim?

    “For a study in Nature Aging, researchers tracked the levels of more than 135,000 molecules and microbes, all reflective of activity in cells and tissues, in 108 healthy volunteers aged 25 to 75. Each volunteer contributed biological specimens, including blood and stool samples, every three to six months for a median of 1.7 years. Results showed that differences in the levels of many molecules and microbes clustered around two distinct time points: age 44 and 60. The findings suggest that aging might accelerate around those periods—and signal to experts that our 40s and 50s may be a significant period to closely monitor health.”

        We know from past research —  molecules have an expiration date.  I guess 44 and 60 are dates when some of them just get tired of repairing themselves – and give up.

          Thinking about myself:  In 1985, age 42, I decided to run the New York Marathon.  I seemed to sense I needed a game-changing challenge, after age 40.  It was indeed life-changing – I didn’t train properly, and my leg cramped for the entire last six miles.  But I finished in under four hours, and it taught me something about myself.

          In 2006, at age 64, I ran the Boston Marathon.  This time I did train well…and ran it slowly, five hours, and enjoyed every minute, and even helped some stragglers.  That kept me running even as I turned 80.  Slower, shorter …but running. 

          I guess the message is:  Take these inflection points, 44 and 60, and leverage them.  Not just physically.  Emotionally and mentally.  Think about what you want to change in your life; what ballast do you want to dump overboard, in terms of things you are doing that do not create value for people or for yourself?  And then – go for it.  And at the same time, adjust your fitness and maybe step it up a notch.