David Sinclair, a molecular geneticist, longevity researcher, and professor at Harvard Medical School, who was also not involved in the research, puts it more pointedly: “The research seems to fly in the face of current models of aging, particularly the epigenetic clock and other gradual and linear changes such as steady increases in blood sugar levels.”
And while the study may not apply to everyone, Sinclair calls its findings “provocative” and says it indeed shows “large shifts in our biology in our 40s and 60s relative to other times of life post puberty.”
The study also follows an evolving scientific view about how we age as other studies have pointed to similar periods where sudden aging seems to occur. “Plenty of research has shown that changes related to aging may occur more suddenly during certain times in our lives,” explains Mitch McVey, a biologist at Tufts University who specializes in DNA repair and molecular mechanisms linked to aging, who wasn’t involved in the research.
