As societies age, policy makers need tools to understand how demographic aging will affect population health and to develop programs to increase healthspan. The current metrics used for policy analysis do not distinguish differences caused by early-life factors, such as prenatal care and nutrition, from those caused by ongoing changes in people's bodies due to aging. Here we introduce an adapted Pace of Aging method designed to quantify differences between individuals and populations in the speed of aging-related health declines. The adapted Pace of Aging method, implemented in data from the US Health and Retirement Study and English Longitudinal Study of Aging (N=21,463), integrates longitudinal data on blood biomarkers, physical measurements, and functional tests. It reveals stark differences in rates of aging between population subgroups and demonstrates strong and consistent prospective associations with incident morbidity, disability, and mortality. Pace of Aging can advance the population science of healthy longevity.
Longevity Relevance Analysis
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The paper introduces an adapted Pace of Aging method that quantifies differences in aging rates among individuals and populations, which is directly relevant to understanding the biological processes of aging and their implications for healthspan and lifespan. The findings suggest significant associations with morbidity, disability, and mortality, indicating that this research could contribute to the field of longevity by providing insights into the pace of aging and its effects on health outcomes. However, while the study is important, it does not present a groundbreaking discovery or a transformative approach that would significantly alter the current understanding of aging, hence the moderate impact score.