Study Links 8% Higher Early Cancer Risk to Accelerated Biological Aging in 164,000 Younger Adults
Updated
Updated · Okdiario · Jul 19
Study Links 8% Higher Early Cancer Risk to Accelerated Biological Aging in 164,000 Younger Adults
3 articles · Updated · Okdiario · Jul 19
Summary
More than 164,000 people in UK and U.S. cohorts showed that each one-step rise in biological aging was tied to an 8% higher risk of solid cancers diagnosed before 55.
The study used the PhenoAge blood-marker algorithm and found later generations carried larger gaps between biological and chronological age; UK participants born in 1965-74 scored 23% of 1 standard deviation higher than those born in 1950-54.
People in the most biologically aged third faced a 15% higher early-onset cancer risk, with the strongest links seen in lung, gastrointestinal and uterine cancers; organ-level signals also pointed to immune aging and colorectal risk.
Researchers said the findings suggest biological age may capture the cumulative effects of diet, obesity, inactivity, smoking, alcohol, pollution and other exposures, but the observational study does not prove causation.
The work comes as UK cancer rates for ages 25-49 rose 24% from 1995 to 2019, though about 90% of all cancer cases still occur after age 50.