Genetic evidence confirms early puberty accelerates ageing, disease: Study
Summary
Research shows early puberty or childbirth doubles women's risk for major diseases and accelerates ageing, while later timing provides protective benefits linked to lifespan and age-related disease risks.
Key Points
- Early puberty before age 11 and childbirth before 21 double women's risk of type 2 diabetes, heart failure, obesity, and quadruple severe metabolic disorders.
- Later puberty and childbirth are genetically linked to longer lifespan, lower frailty, slower epigenetic ageing, and reduced risk of diseases like Alzheimer's.
- 126 genetic markers mediating the effects of reproductive timing on ageing were identified, linked to known longevity pathways such as IGF-1 and mTOR signaling.
- The study highlights public health importance of considering reproductive history in medical care beyond OB/GYN and challenges traditional female disease models in research.
