Genetic Evidence Confirms Early Puberty Accelerates Aging and Disease

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by ScienceDaily.

Reproductive timing matters when it comes to aging and age-related disease. In a study now online at eLife¸ Buck researchers determine that girls who go through puberty (the onset of menstruation) before the age of 11 or women who give birth before the age of 21 have double the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and obesity, and quadruple the risk of developing severe metabolic disorders. The study also reveals that later puberty and childbirth are genetically associated with longer lifespan, lower frailty, slower epigenetic aging, and reduced risk of age-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

Buck professor Pankaj Kapahi, PhD, senior author of the study says the public health implications of the research are significant. “Even though women are routinely asked about their menstrual and childbirth history when they receive medical care, this information has rarely factored into the care they receive outside of OB/GYN,” he says. “These risk factors, whether positive or negative, clearly have significant influence on a variety of age-related diseases and should be considered in the larger context of overall health.”

The research was based on one of the most comprehensive analyses to date, using regression analysis on nearly 200,000 women in the UK Biobank to confirm genetic associations. “We identified 126 genetic markers that mediate the effects of early puberty and childbirth on aging,” said postdoctoral fellow Yifan Xiang, MD, who led the research. “Many of these markers are involved in well-known longevity pathways, such as IGF-1, growth hormone, AMPK and mTOR signaling, key regulators of metabolism and aging.”

Source: ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250820000754.htm