Biological aging accelerates in younger generations, boosting early-onset cancer risk
WashU Medicine-led study finds younger birth cohorts age biologically faster, with systemic and organ-specific aging gaps larger in more recent generations. In UK and US data, the 1990–1999 birth group showed about 92% of one standard deviation higher systemic aging than 1965–1969, linking to an 8% higher risk of early-onset solid cancers; those with the most accelerated aging had a 15% higher risk. Immune-system aging was associated with early-onset lung cancer, and adipose (fat) aging with early-onset colorectal cancer. The findings suggest aging measures could help identify individuals at higher risk for targeted prevention and early detection.
