Biological age is increased by stress and restored upon recovery

Aging is classically conceptualized as an ever-increasing trajectory of damage accumulation and loss of function, leading to increases in morbidity and mortality. However, recent in vitro studies have raised the possibility of age reversal. Authors report that biological age is fluid and exhibits rapid changes in both directions. At epigenetic, transcriptomic and metabolomic levels, they find that the biological age of young mice is increased by heterochronic parabiosis and restored following surgical detachment. They identified transient changes in biological age during major surgery, pregnancy, and severe COVID-19 in humans and/or mice. Together, these data show that biological age undergoes a rapid increase in response to diverse forms of stress, which is reversed following recovery from stress. This study uncovers a new layer of aging dynamics that should be considered in future studies. The elevation of biological age by stress may be a quantifiable and actionable target for the future.

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