You Look Good For Your Age!

Do you have friends who look “great for their age”? Do you look in the mirror and wonder why you don’t appear to be aging that well? There are many factors that go into how we look as we age and researchers have discovered that there could be something more than “skin deep” that has each of us aging at a different pace.

The study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, measured the facial features of several 20 and 30-year-olds and tracked how quickly they aged. There were markers applied that measured both biological and physiological factors. The study found that some individuals aged faster and looked older than their peers.

Aging happens gradually and is usually not obvious from one day to the next. Some of the ways we age more quickly include changes in our:

• Cholesterol
• Body mass
• Blood pressure
• Inflammation in the body
• Lung function
• Inherent integrity of the individual’s DNA

The study found that even though the individuals were chronologically the same age, biologically some were aging more quickly. All factors being equal it was shown that 80% of the aging factors were not genetic. Now that they know that it isn’t all in the genes, researchers can work to find ways to help individuals age more gracefully and to find the factors that let you “look younger than your biological age.”  

In addition to appearance, the study can also help track whether anti-aging treatments are effective and can also provide insight into the belief that how we live and how we eat and how physically active we are might just help us to age more gracefully.  Keeping yourself physically fit and mentally sharp may have an impact on how we age.