The science of why we age is a hot topic, with studies pointing to changes in our chromosomes, cellular stress and epigenetics as culprits. These changes are difficult to reverse with treatments — but what if there were a molecular cause of aging that we could change more easily?
In a study published Friday (April 12) in the journal Nature Aging, researchers may have identified a particular kind of fat molecule, or lipid, that plays a major role in the aging process. This lipid, called bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP), was found at consistently higher levels in the muscles of older people than in those of younger people. And notably, those high levels fell with short periods of exercise. The researchers also studied this effect in more detail in mice.
