The midlife health crisis hits twice: at 44 and 60

• Fat metabolism at 44, carbohydrate metabolism at 60

• CVD, caffeine metabolism, skin and muscle molecules change quickly

Midlife is a great time in your life! It's when your social career really takes off. Your ability to think and work broadly is at its peak. But it's also a time when your body is aging and your health is at risk due to stress from work and life. Midlife is usually considered to be the period between your early 40s and early 60s. How and when does a midlife health crisis occur?

Researchers at Stanford University in the US have found that the risk of age-related diseases speeds up at certain points in time. In the US, for example, the number of people with neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's gets higher with age, but there's a clear turning point around the ages of 40 and 65, respectively.

A team of Stanford University researchers, led by Professor Michael Snyder (Genetics), has found that the body goes through two big changes during midlife, rather than just one gradual change, according to a new study in Nature Aging. The researchers found that people go through two big changes at about ages 44 and 60.

'A man grows old three times in his life'

Snyder said, “People change throughout their lives. The biggest changes happen in their mid-40s and 60s.”

A study from the same university, published in 2019, found that our plasma proteins change three times in our lifetime. These age-related proteins rise sharply at ages 34, 60, and 78. This new study backs this up, and shows that aging isn't gradual — it's more like a path with lots of changes in speed along the way.

The unexpected mid-40s surge

The study analyzed samples from 108 healthy adults aged 25 to 75 over six years.

The researchers looked at the microbiome and 135,239 biomolecules, including RNA, proteins, and metabolites. The study found that 81% of molecules changed significantly between ages 44 and 60.

Notable changes were in molecules linked to heart disease, caffeine, and skin and muscle. Alcohol and lipid molecules changed more at 44, while immune regulation, kidney function, and carbohydrate metabolism changed more at 60.

"The molecular changes at age 60 weren't surprising because that's when age-related diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer typically occur, but the changes in the 40s were."

The molecular changes at age 60 weren't a big surprise. That's when age-related diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer typically occur. But the changes in the 40s were. Snyder says. The researchers initially thought that the sharp fluctuations in the mid-40s might be related to menopause in women. But similar changes were seen in men of the same age.

In your mid-40s and early 60s, there are significant changes in the molecules that metabolize caffeine.

Why correct habits while you're healthy

The good news is that there are ways to deal with it, according to the researchers. For instance, if you know that your body is processing carbohydrates less efficiently, you can adjust your diet accordingly. We know that our bodies can't metabolize alcohol and coffee as well as they used to, so it's a good idea to drink less of these beverages after a certain age than before.

Snyder says it's possible that some of these changes are not biological, but rather related to lifestyle or behavioral factors that are concentrated in this age group. For instance, an impaired alcohol metabolism might be linked to increased drinking in one's mid-40s, a period often marked by stress, he suggested.

“This study shows that lifestyle matters in your 40s. It's crucial to make lifestyle and behavioral adjustments while we're still healthy.”

Regardless of the cause, these turning points highlight the importance of prioritizing your health during this time. They advised people to improve their diet and exercise at this age, when the body begins to change.

*Link to the original research paper: Nature Aging Study.