People born in the 90s age faster than previous generations, study finds

Individuals born in the 1990s are aging biologically at a faster rate than previous generations, according to a new international study. While a 30-year-old today might be expected to be at a similar biological stage as someone of that age three or four decades ago, emerging research indicates that aging processes are not uniform and depend on more than just chronological time.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Siteman Cancer Center, was published in Nature Medicine. Led by epidemiologist Yin Cao, the research team examined data from over 160,000 adults in the UK and the US. Unlike traditional studies focusing on chronological age, this work assessed "biological age" using blood biomarkers related to inflammation, metabolism, and organ function.

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Systemic aging has increased in more recent cohorts.

Results from the UK showed that individuals born between 1965 and 1974 exhibited higher levels of systemic aging than those born between 1950 and 1954, when compared at the same age. The difference was even more pronounced in the US data, where people born between 1990 and 1999 displayed more advanced signs of biological aging than those born in the 1960s under similar conditions. The study authors noted this pattern was consistent across different measurement methods.

Beyond identifying this generational difference, the research explored its potential consequences. A significant association was found between accelerated biological aging and an increased risk of developing early-onset cancers, defined as those occurring before age 55. For every substantial increase in aging indicators, the risk of early-onset solid tumors rose by approximately 8%. The researchers highlighted a stronger link with early-onset tumors of the lung, gastrointestinal tract, and uterus.

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This systemic aging is associated with the risk of early-onset solid cancer.