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CHICAGO (CBS) – New scientific evidence from Northwestern shows that pregnancy accelerates aging
Results reveal that in every pregnancy, cell aging accelerates by six months at two years old. 19659002] For the study, published this week in Scientific Reports, researchers looked at two types of markers of cellular aging – telomere length and epigenetic age – in hundreds of young women with reproductive histories different
<img class = "alignnone size-medium wp-image-534930" src = "https://cbschicago.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/pregnancy-thinkstock.jpg?w=300&h=169" alt = "" Telomere length and epigenetic age are cell markers that independently predict mortality, and both appeared to be "older" in women who had more pregnancies in their reproductive history, "said Calen Ryan, lead author of the study.Student and PhD student in biological anthropology at Northwestern
Ryan adds that even after taking into account factors that affect aging outside the pregna however, the number of gr A woman's bones was one of the most important factors contributing to aging
Ryan, with co-investigators Christopher Kuzawa of Northwestern and Dan Eisenberg. at the University of Washington, confirmed that women look younger during pregnancy – but that does not last.
Paradoxically, the cells looked younger while the women were pregnant, according to the study.
"If a woman was pregnant Measurements were taken, her epigenetic age – and to a lesser extent her telomeres – seemed" younger "than expected for her chronological age," said Kuzawa, lead author of the study. study and professor of anthropology at Northwestern
. offers a kind of temporary fountain of youth, giving a woman the appearance of being "temporarily young".
But, as a woman gets pregnant several times, the study reveals a lasting and cumulative relationship between the number of pregnancies Accelerated biological aging
According to historical and epidemiological studies, researchers know that women who have many children have a slightly shorter life and succumb to different diseases than those who do not.
I know if we could detect these types of effects using measures of cellular aging, "said Ryan." We also did not know whether we would detect such effects in relatively young women in this age group. population, all ages 20-22 at the time. "
For the study, Filipino women were examined.The researchers note sociological conditions specific to the islands that may have affected the results.
In particular, physical labor is more common in the Philippines than in the United States and Europe, where the health risks associated with pregnancy may be lower.
"In resource-based settings typical elevations of Europe and the United States, the health risks associated with pregnancy might be lower. "
The researchers say that although there is good evidence can increase the risk some diseases and shorten the life of a woman, they do not really know why.
"Our study indicates cellular changes during pregnancy, possibly related to adaptive changes in the mother's immune system as a possible explanation," said Kuzawa, also a professor at Northwestern's Institute for Policy Research. "There are still many things we do not know."
For example, it is not known if the effect of pregnancy on aging lasts later in life.
A follow-up study of the same women 13 years after the first measurements, taken in 2005, is already under way.
"We want to see if we can reproduce these results longitudinally and if cells look ever older, later in life," Ryan said. "We still have many issues to address which, we hope, will help us understand how factors such as socioeconomic status and diet can contribute to women's reproductive costs."
The full result is available here: Epigenetic age acceleration in young adult women "
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