Research Reveals Why Millennials and Gen Z Are Ageing Faster
Recent research shows that Millennials and Gen Z are experiencing significantly faster biological ageing than their parents’ generation at the same chronological age. This condition of ‘ageing before their time’ is based on examinations of various blood markers or biomarkers, and is thought to be the answer to the medical mystery of why cases of lung, uterine, and gastrointestinal cancers are rising sharply among young people.
In the study, scientists analysed blood marker data from over 150,000 adults using a metric called ‘PhenoAge’. The actual fitness of the body’s organs and cells was measured through nine specific blood biomarkers, including C-Reactive Protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation levels; glucose and creatinine, indicators of metabolism and kidney function; and white blood cells, an indicator of the body’s immune system.
The results were surprising. The group born in the 1990s, or early Gen Z, had a 92 per cent higher gap in their biological age. This means their blood condition was significantly older compared to the generation born in the late 1960s at the same chronological age.
Medically, cancer arises when genetic damage accumulates in cells, triggering uncontrolled division. Because the bodies of younger generations are ageing faster, the accumulation of DNA damage from modern environments occurs over a shorter period. The research proved that with each increase in this biological ageing score, the risk of developing cancer before the age of 55 rose significantly. The most alarming correlation was found in lung cancer cases, where the risk skyrocketed by 57 per cent in young people.
Scientists identified two types of biological ageing as the most influential: immune system ageing, which is closely linked to a higher risk of early-onset lung cancer, and adipose tissue ageing, which strongly correlates with the risk of colorectal cancer. David Scott, Director of Cancer Grand Challenges, concluded that these studies suggest cancer may be influenced not only by changes within individual cells but also by broader changes in the modern environment affecting the entire body.