Aging is a culmination of factors spanning from your cells to your environment. A number of interconnected processes determine how quickly your body is able to repair and recover from damage.
Aging is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases. Figuring out what influences longevity and how to identify rapid agers could lead to healthier and longer lives for more people.
The protective caps at the ends of chromosomes naturally shorten over time. Researchers found that direct damage can prematurely trigger senescence and contribute to age-related diseases like cancer.
Healing is a complicated process. As people age, higher rates of disease and the fact that old cells lose the ability to divide slow this process down.