A few days ago, the American actor Tom Hanks declared that The worst age is 35 years old. “Your metabolism stops, gravity starts to tear you apart, your bones start to wear down and you stand differently,” said the performer, now 68.
But experts believe that the protagonist of Forrest Gump is wrong. Steve Hoffmannprofessor of computational biology at the Leibniz Institute on Aging in Jena, Germany, says that the most difficult age in life is actually between 45 and 50 years old.
“I have no reason to doubt that Tom Hanks experienced some kind of physiological deterioration at the age of 35,” Professor Hoffmann said in statements to Daily Mail.
“However, epidemiological data tell us that the incidence rates of many diseases and disabilities associated with age are beginning to manifest themselves between 10 and 15 years later. “This may be the stage in life when many people start to notice some of the symptoms that Tom described,” he adds.
Professor Hoffmann adds that there is much debate about when exactly the biological aging process begins. “Some researchers claim that biological aging, at least in some parts of our body, could start before birth“, he says. “Others say that it only activates once sexual maturity is reached,” he adds.
Earlier this year, a study identified two significant waves of sudden age-related changes in humans. The team of authors, led by Dr. Michael Snyder of the Stanford University (USA), analyzed samples from 108 healthy people between 25 and 75 years old.
They found that age-related changes, including a slower metabolism and greater susceptibility to disease, showed significant spikes both at 44 and 60 years old.
Professor Hoffmann said that “it cannot be ruled out that there are additional waves of aging”like one in the mid-30s, as Tom Hanks suggests.
“There is a certain debate on the course of the aging process”, stated the academic, who this year reported on similar processes in mice.
“Aging can be thought of as a linear deterioration of physiological functions; However, recent data suggest that aging can also occur in waves,” he continues.
Professor Hoffmann emphasizes that aging is “a highly individual process influenced by many factors”such as genetics, stress levels, diet and smoking.