Canadian researchers from Dalhousie University have identified a critical threshold in the aging process. After this age, the body loses the ability to recover effectively, and the risks to life sharply increase.
Scientists from Canada have discovered the age of a point of no return, when health sharply declines.
The aging process may not be as gradual as commonly believed. New mathematical modeling has revealed that there is a turning point in a person's life after which the body's resilience significantly weakens. This discovery will allow for a new approach to planning medical care for the elderly.
Point of No Return
The research by physicist Glen Pridham and his colleagues from Dalhousie University (Canada) showed that aging can be represented as a balance between the damage inflicted on the body and its ability to recover. Upon reaching a certain age, this balance is irreversibly disrupted. The body can no longer compensate for damage from diseases and injuries, marking the end of a period of relative stability.
"We found that the dynamics of natural aging include a turning point around the age of 75, when endurance and resilience become insufficient. After this, a person's health typically declines steadily," the authors explain in their paper published on arXiv.
Frailty Index
To build the model, the researchers used extensive data from long-term health observations of thousands of people from the United States and the United Kingdom. They analyzed information from 12,920 participants, whose average age was 67 years, assessing their condition using a "frailty index" that includes over 30 characteristics, accounting for chronic and cardiovascular diseases, difficulties in daily activities, and other factors.
The mathematical model tracked two key parameters: the occurrence of adverse events (illnesses, injuries) and the rate of recovery from them. The results showed that around the ages of 73–76, most people, both men and women, begin to chronically lag in their recovery ability compared to the accumulation of damage. This is the critical point after which the "frailty index" increases, and the risk of mortality significantly rises.
"Crossing this point sharply increases the risk of accumulating health problems if stressors are not mitigated," the researchers note.
Age of Aging
The study highlights the importance of prevention and reducing the burden on the body even before reaching this age-related critical threshold.
"Strategies aimed at strengthening health and increasing the body's reserves up to the age of 75 may be more effective than attempts to combat rapid health decline after this age," the scientists conclude.
Previously, researchers found that people experience two more sharp jumps related to health deterioration: one in middle age, at 44 years, and another at 60 years. There is also another moment when the aging of organs accelerates. A study published this year showed that this occurs at the age of 50, after which tissues and organs age faster than in previous decades.
