Scientists have discovered that telomeres, pieces of DNA that protect chromosomes, shrink as cells divide, causing biological aging. Those with shorter telomeres due to genetic variants may age biologically faster than their chronological age. Studies found animals and humans with shorter telomeres showed signs of faster biological aging, and increased risk for early heart disease. While looks alone can't determine biological age, scientists are trying to develop tests using telomere length.

1. Lacking Telomeres May Make
You Age Faster
By Dana Berger and Clay Walsh

2. Researching Telomeres
-Scientists at the University of Leicester might have discovered
why some people look older than they actually are by
researching Telomeres
Telomeres= are pieces of DNA at the ends of chromosomes
that protect the chromosome from damage.
- As cells divide telomeres shrink, and scientists think that is the
cause of biological aging.

3. Whats the difference between
biological and chronological aging?
-Biological aging is the physical state of your cells
after they split
-Chronological aging is how long you have actually
lived
-scientists say that someone who is 40 years old
who has small telomeres may have a biological age
of a 50 year old

4. Variations in Telomeres Length
- Scientist Nilesh Samani studied 500,000 genetic variations to
find telomere length difference in the variations
- Scientists did in fact find a variant that causes some people to
have shorter telomeres
- The variant is genetic

5. Tests on animals
-Scientists examined animals with shorter telomeres and these
animals showed faster biological aging
-Scientists say that on average people with one copy of the
variant are 4-5 biological years older then the same
chronological age without the variant
-They also say that on average people with 2 copies of the
variant are 6-8 biological years older then the same
chronological age without the variant

6. Concerns with shorter telomeres
- Samani is also a cardiologist and brought up concerns about
how shorter telomeres can bring up early heart disease
-He says people who are chronologicaly older may have better
health then someone chronologicaly younger
-This is dangerous because someone can think they are
healthy but can actually be at risk

7. Can you tell from looks who is
bilogically older?
-Scientists are interested in seeing if you can identify people
who are biologically older by appearance
-At this point in time, the scientists are unsure if you can, and
are trying to develop a way to test that

8. Acknowledgments
1. Scientific American for posting the original article
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=aging-telomere