New York, USA – A recent study conducted by researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health has found a potential link between pregnancy and the acceleration of biological aging in women. The study, which examined the reproductive histories and DNA samples of 1,735 individuals in the Philippines, used genetic tools to estimate biological age based on patterns of DNA methylation.
The research, published in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, discovered that each individual pregnancy reported by a woman was associated with an additional two to three months of biological aging. Furthermore, women who reported more pregnancies over a six-year period showed a greater increase in biological aging.
Interestingly, the study did not find a similar correlation between biological aging and the number of pregnancies fathered by men participating in the survey. Lead author Calen Ryan, an associate research scientist at the Columbia Aging Center, emphasized the significance of the findings, suggesting that pregnancy may accelerate the biological aging process in young, high-fertility women.
Ryan also highlighted the potential challenges faced by women who experience pregnancies during adolescence, a time when their bodies are still growing. The study underscores the need for further research to understand the impact of pregnancy on the aging process and its potential long-term effects on health and mortality.
Overall, the study sheds light on the complex relationship between pregnancy and biological aging, calling for more in-depth investigations to unravel the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. The findings open up avenues for future research to explore how pregnancy influences biological age and its implications for women’s health and well-being.