Youth Aging Faster Biologically, Study Links to Rise in Early Cancer

Research published in *Nature Medicine* shows that people born between 1965 and 1974 exhibit a higher biological age than those born in 1950‑54, and those born in 1990‑99 show greater signs of cellular aging than those born in 1965‑69. The study’s co‑author, Yin Cao of the University of Washington’s School of Medicine in St. Louis, said, “Our results indicate some younger adults may experience these changes earlier than expected, possibly related to rising early‑cancer rates.”

Separate analyses reported by the *BMJ* reveal a 79 % global increase in cancers diagnosed before age 50 since 1990, while EU data estimate about 13,800 children and adolescents were diagnosed with cancer in 2022. Experts such as John Richards of the Bart’s Cancer Institute in the United Kingdom emphasized that the work “looks beyond individual cancer cells to broader bodily changes.” Potential contributors include ultra‑processed foods, alcohol, obesity, smoking and exposure to micro‑plastic particles, though causality remains unproven. Researchers call for further investigation into whether accelerated biological aging directly drives early‑onset cancer or reflects shared underlying risk factors.