WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Over the years, scientists have noted that cancer cases among adults under the age of 55 have been rising alarmingly.
A recent study conducted by scientists at Washington University in St. Louis found that accelerated aging could be the reason behind early-onset cancer cases among the younger population.
'Historically, both cancer and aging have been viewed primarily as concerns for older populations,' Ruiyi Tian, a graduate student at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and one of the study researchers said. 'The realization that cancer, and now aging, are becoming significant issues for younger demographics over the past decades was unexpected.'
The study based on data of 148,724 people from the UK Biobank database, used nine blood-based markers to determine the biological age of the participants, which was later compared with their chronological age.
The findings showed that participants with higher biological age were at a 42 percentage increased risk of suffering from early-onset lung cancer, 22 percent more risk of suffering from early-onset gastrointestinal cancer, and 36 percent higher risk of suffering from early-onset uterine cancer.
'The principal findings highlight that accelerated aging is increasingly prevalent among successive birth cohorts, potentially serving as a crucial risk factor or mediator for various environmental and lifestyle-related risk factors leading to early-onset cancer,' Tian said.
The researchers also noted that people born after 1965 were 17 percent more likely to experience accelerated aging than their predecessors.
'It is vital for recent generations to become more health-conscious and consider the implications of accelerated aging,' Tian advised.
The researchers assured that they are working on cancer prevention strategies tailored to younger people.
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